University  of  California  •  Berkeley 

Gift  of 
CHARLOTTE  AND  NORMAN  STROUSE 


The  Publication  Committee  of  the  Grolier  Club  certify  that  this  is  one 
of  three  hundred  copies  of  a  special  edition  of  Modern  Bookbinding  Prac- 
tically Considered,  on  Holland  paper,  and  of  three  copies  on  vellum,  all 
of  demy  quarto  size,  which  were  printed  in  the  month  of  November,  1889. 


MODERN   BOOKBINDING 
PEACTICALLY    CONSIDERED 


THE   ALHAMBRA. 

OUTSIDE    DESIGN. 


MODERN  BOOKBINDING 
PRACTICALLY  CONSIDERED 


A   LECTURE 

BEAD  BEFOEE  THE  GROLIER  CLUB  OF  NEW-YORK,  MARCH  25,  1885 
WITH  ADDITIONS  AND  NEW  ILLUSTRATIONS 


BY 


WILLIAM    MATTHEWS 


NEW-YORK 
THE    GKOLIER    CLUB 

MDCCCLXXXIX 


Copyright,  1889,  by  William  Matthews. 


The  De  Vinne  Press. 


A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  ILLUSTEATIONS. 

PAGE. 

1.  THE  ALDINE  STYLE.    (Italian.) 68 

A  contemporary  design.  The  ornaments  are  of  solid 
face  and  not  formed  into  scrolls.  The  frame  is  formed 
of  simple  geometrical  figures. 

2.  THE  MAIOLI  STYLE.    (Italian.) 70 

A  contemporary  design.  The  ornaments  are  chiefly 
azured,  which  the  reproduction  but  faintly  illustrates. 
The  two  shields  are  inlaid  with  color,  and  the  inner  field 
is  studded  with  gold  dots  enriching  the  center  in  contrast 
to  the  outer  field  of  the  design.  The  scroll-work  is  graceful 
and  masterly. 

3.  THE  G-ROLIER  STYLE.    (French.) 72 

A  contemporary  design.  The  ornaments  are  all  azured. 
The  frame  is  elaborately  designed  and  intersected,  form- 
ing the  chief  feature  of  the  design.  The  scroll-work  is 
meager  and  stiff. 

4.  THE  EVE  STYLE.    (French.) 74 

A  contemporary  design.  The  ornaments  are  circular 
scrolls,  flowers  and  branches.  The  frame  is  composed  of 
many  variously  shaped  compartments  skillfully  connected 
by  intersected  circles,  the  centers  of  which  are  filled  with 
flowers  and  circular  scrolls.  The  branches  of  laurel  and 
other  foliage  surrounding  these  compartments  form  the 
chief  feature  of  an  five  design. 

5.  THE  GASCON  STYLE.    (French.) 76 

A  contemporary  design.  The  frame  is  similar  in  its  com- 
partments and  connections  to  an  five  design.  The  orna- 
ments are  dotted  on  the  face  instead  of  solid  line.  This 
dotted  ornament  is  the  distinguishing  feature  of  a  Gascon 
design. 


PAGE. 

6.  THE  KOGER  PAYNE  STYLE.    (English.) 80 

A  contemporary  design  for  a  copy  of  uLa  Pucelle." 
Though  small  this  is  a  good  example  of  the  style.  The 
ornaments  are  characteristically  floral  and  graceful  in  the 
stalk.  They  are  arranged  in  individual  and  not  in  con- 
nected form.  There  is  an  entire  absence  of  scroll-work 
and  fillets.  Roger  Payne  seldom  failed  to  decorate  appro- 
priately, so  the  wreath  border  and  the  fleur-de-lis  are  thus 
used  in  this  instance.  The  gold-dot  studding  a  la  Maioli, 
another  feature  of  this  style,  is  shown  in  the  four  center 
corners,  and  it  is  evident  the  four  corners  of  the  border 
were  intended  to  be  studded  in  like  manner. 

7.  A  MODERN  DESIGN  (1853).    (American.)  .    .  Frontispiece 

For  a  copy  of  the  "  Alhambra  "  by  Owen  Jones.  The 
cover  is  of  light  brown  or  yellow  russia.  The  frame  of  the 
outside  design  is  inlaid  with  red  and  the  panels  with  blue 
morocco,  leaving  the  scroll-work  yellow.  The  frame  of 
the  border  of  the  inside  design  is  inlaid  with  blue  with  the 
intersected  and  quartered  circles  and  diamonds  in  red. 
The  panel  is  of  white  vellum,  the  fillet  and  half-diamond 
figures  of  which  are  inlaid  with  blue  and  the  full- diamond 
figures  with  yellow  morocco.  A  special  feature  of  this 
design  is  its  complete  decorative  treatment  in  outline, 
without  the  aid  of  engraved  ornaments. 

8.  A  MODERN  DESIGN  (1865).     (American.) 94 

For  a  copy  of  Longmans'  edition  of  the  "  New  Testa- 
ment," bound  by  William  Matthews  of  New- York.  The 
cover  is  of  light  brown  morocco.  The  frame  is  inlaid  with 
light  blue  and  the  centers  of  the  four  symbolic  figures  with 
red.  The  scroll-work  interlacing  the  frame  fills  every  com- 
partment without  crowding  and  is  graceful  and  masterly. 
This  design  exemplifies  perfectly  a  complete  decorative 
treatment  without  the  aid  of  engraved  tools,  and  the  illus- 
tration affords  proof  of  the  exactness  of  its  execution. 


THE   ALHAMBRA. 

INSIDE    DESIGN. 


AN  ADDRESS  ON  MODERN  BOOKBINDING 
PRACTICALLY  CONSIDERED. 


HAVE  been  requested  by  the  Council  of 
the  Grolier  Club  to  address  you  on  the 
subject  of  Modern  Bookbinding  Practi- 
cally Considered.  I  take  it  for  granted 
that  this  means  Extra  Binding.  By  Extra  Binding  I 
mean  that  which  the  binder  is  called  upon  to  do  for 
private  libraries,  in  distinction  from  publishers'  work, 
the  former  being  chiefly  done  by  hand,  the  latter  by 
machinery.  It  may  be  well  to  observe  that  these  two 
branches  are  distinct  in  character,  and  the  processes 


10  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

employed  in  each  are  so  different  that  they  demand 
separate  description. 

Had  I  chosen  the  title  of  my  address  I  would  have 
omitted  the  term  "Modern,"  because  I  think  the  Com- 
mercial binding  of  the  day  deserves  that  term,  in  dis- 
tinction from  the  Library  style  which  we  designate  as 
"Extra  Binding,"  the  general  character  of  which  has 
many  features  and  processes  resembling  those  of  cen- 
turies ago.  The  mechanical  processes  by  which  we 
bind  the  enormous  issues  of  the  modern  printing 
press  are  the  results — largely  American,  I  am  pleased 
to  say — of  modern  invention.  When  I  was  born, 
the  present  cloth  fabric  that  is  now  used  so  exten- 
sively for  commercial  binding  was  then  unknown. 
Publishers'  work  was  then  bound  in  paper-covered 
boards,  with  a  paper  label — a  style  attractive  to  the 
eye  of  the  modern  collector,  as  it  insures  him  uncut 
edges,  unwrinkled  and  lightly  sawed  back,  and  the 
absence  of  faults  which  machinery  has  introduced. 
This  machine  binding,  in  spite  of  its  faults,  deserves 
in  a  sense  to  be  commended,  for  by  the  result  of  much 
ingenuity  it  meets  the  demands  of  speed  and  cheap- 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEEED.  11 

ness  and  affords  a  style  of  ornamentation  suitable  to 
the  requirements  of  the  masses.  A  history  of  the 
growth  of  this  branch  of  bookbinding  would  not  only 
be  interesting  in  setting  forth  the  development  of  the 
various  machines  and  the  struggles  of  their  inventors, 
but  I  am  sure  the  statistics  of  its  growth  and  capa- 
bilities would  appear  marvelous  to  us. 

I  assume,  however,  that  "Extra,"  or  fine  handwork, 
binding  is  my  subject,  and  that  as  it  is  principally 
practiced  in  our  time.  Mine  is  not  the  pleasure  to 
narrate  the  historic  past,  with  all  its  chivalry  and 
romance — when  kings  and  queens,  nobles  and  men 
of  letters,  all  aspired  to  have  their  favorite  authors 
bound  in  tapestry  and  velvet,  bedecked  with  rare  and 
costly  jewels;  when  ivory  and  gold  were  none  too 
rich  for  their  missals ;  and  when,  at  a  later  period, 
artists  of  high  repute  invented  designs  for  the  decora- 
tion of  the  covers,  of  such  excellence  that  they  have 
served  as  patterns  for  all  time  since.  No,  that  has 
already  been  well  done  by  our  president ;  but  mine  is 
the  more  prosaic  duty  to  describe  as  practically  as 
possible  the  principles  of  the  art.  To  impart  all 


12  MODEKN     BOOKBINDING 

important  information  regarding  the  manufacture  of 
books,  to  give  every  facility  to  its  members  to 
acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  art  of  book-making,  and 
to  encourage  the  various  branches  connected  there- 
with is,  as  I  understand  it,  the  aim  and  purpose  of 
the  Grrolier  Club.  I  believe  it  is  not  by  what  we  indi- 
vidually accomplish,  but  by  what  we  severally  impart 
to  others,  that  Art  is  advanced ;  and  therefore  I 
cheerfully  undertake  to  do  my  part,  trusting  in  your 
kind  indulgence.  My  effort  will  be  to  specify  the 
principles  that  I  consider  constitute  good  binding : 
not  to  describe  all  the  minute  processes  necessary  to 
make  you  amateur  binders,  as  most  of  the  treatises 
on  the  art  attempt ;  but  to  impart  that  information 
which  will  qualify  you  to  know  the  characteristics  of 
a  well-bound  book,  to  enable  you  to  order  your  bind- 
ing in  a  clear  and  technical  manner,  and  to  qualify 
you  with  the  ability  of  an  expert  to  judge  of  the 
excellences  and  defects  of  a  binding,  for  in  every 
specimen  both  will  be  found.  For,  believe  me,  I  have 
never  in  my  long  experience  seen  a  binding  perfect 
in  all  its  parts. 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  13 

It  is  a  very  important  art :  it  has  been  patronized 
and  encouraged  "by  the  learned  and  the  wealthy  in  all 
ages  of  its  existence.  Its  purpose  is  to  permanently 
preserve  the  best  and  noblest  thoughts  of  mankind. 
It  has  made  possible  the  founding  of  libraries,  thus 
preserving  the  literature  of  ages  and  affording  the 
student  a  facility  of  reference.  Joined  with  printing, 
of  which  it  is  a  necessary  part,  it  has  afforded  more 
pleasure  and  happiness  to  people  of  culture  than  any 
other  art.  And  it  is  eminently  deserving  the  study 
and  effort  of  patrons  and  artisans  to  raise  it  to  a 
higher  perfection  than  it  has  ever  reached. 

It  is  also  a  difficult  art.  I  think  its  difficulties 
should  be  considered  and  borne  in  mind  by  every 
patron  and  criticizing  connoisseur.  I  may  be  very 
ignorant  of  the  difficulties  of  other  arts  that  have 
been  mastered  more  successfully,  but  from  the  fact 
that  my  own  has  for  ages  received  such  great  patron- 
age and  encouragement,  and  that  the  productions  of 
the  most  eminent  and  successful  of  my  craft  are  at 
the  best  very  imperfect,  I  am  convinced  that  there 
are  difficulties  peculiar  to  bookbinding.  Every  single 


14  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

book  that  the  binder  receives  requires  a  somewhat 
different  treatment — that  is,  the  processes  must  be 
modified  according  to  the  material  that  constitutes 
the  book,  or  to  the  style  that  the  caprice  of  his  cus- 
tomer demands.  The  publisher  and  the  printer  too 
often  ignore  the  possibilities  of  the  binder's  art — 
supplying  him  with  paper  as  rigid  as  iron  or  as  spongy 
as  tissue,  and  then  looking  for  flexibility  in  the  one 
and  solidity  in  the  otner.  Connected  as  binding  is 
with  printing,  and  dependent  as  the  printer  is  upon 
the  binder  to  set  forth  his  art  to  good  advantage,  it  is 
wonderful  how  little  the  latter  is  consulted  either  in 
the  paper  or  form  of  imposition  of  any  publication. 
Another,  difficulty  is  the  sensitiveness,  as  it  were,  of 
the  material  he  has  to  work  with  and  its  unavoidable 
imperfections.  Leather  cannot  be  procured  without 
some  flaws — the  rugged  and  hardy  goat  must  get 
many  a  scratch  and  scar  on  his  valuable  hide,  and  his 
skin  should  not  be  expected  without  blemish.  Leather 
also  contracts  with  heat  and  expands  with  cold.  Take 
any  of  your  well-seasoned  bindings  from  a  cool  library 
into  an  overheated  parlor  and  you  will  soon  observe 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEEED.  15 

the  curling  of  the  upper  cover.  The  millboard  also 
that  he  uses,  however  well  seasoned,  is  subject  to 
damp  and  dryness,  and  the  gold-leaf  to  the  influence 
of  climate  and  impure  gas.  But  the  difficulty  more 
annoying  than  all  is  the  demand  which  the  arbitrary 
fancies  of  ignorant  customers  often  make,  breaking 
through  all  rules  and  established  principles.  Some 
of  these  demands  are  so  ridiculous  that  they  are  only 
equaled  by  the  request  of  the  pious  old  lady  who 
desired  a  Bible  made  for  her  of  large  pica  print  of 
pocket  size.  In  your  criticisms,  therefore,  on  book- 
binding weigh  well  these  difficulties :  Is  the  paper  of 
the  book  substantial  enough  to  be  made  solid,  or 
pliable  enough  to  be  made  flexible  ?  Is  the  morocco 
of  good  quality  though  it  has  a  flaw  on  its  surface  ? 
Does  the  board  warp  and  the  gold  tarnish  because  of 
influences  over  which  the  binder  has  no  control,  and, 
above  all,  is  the  taste  displayed  the  binder's  own  or 
that  of  his  patron  ?  In  addition  to  these  difficulties 
with  the  material  part,  it  must  also  be  borne  in  mind 
that  the  mechanical  parts  of  the  binding  are  so 
numerous  and  so  dependent  on  each  other  that  I 


16  MODERN     BOOKBINDING 

avow  it  would  be  almost  a  miracle  if  the  binding 
in  all  its  parts  was  perfect. 

Let  me  briefly  mention  these  :  Folding,  Beating 
and  Pressing,  Collating,  Sewing,  Papering,  Bounding, 
Backing,  Cutting,  Squaring  of  Boards,  Gilding  or 
Coloring  of  Edges,  Headbanding,  Lining  of  Back, 
Covering  and  Finishing  not  only  with  appropriate 
design  but  in  the  perfect  working  of  every  separate 
tool,  besides  many  less  important  points,  upon  the 
perfection  of  each  of  which  the  excellence  of  all  the 
other  parts  more  or  less  depends. 

The  modern  extra  binder  is  a  lineal  descendant  of 
the  ancient  binder;  his  principles  are  the  same,  his 
methods  and  tools  are  almost  identical  with  those 
used  by  the  craft  four  hundred  years  ago — the  beat- 
ing hammer,  the  sewing  frame,  the  forwarder's  ham- 
mer, laying  press,  and  cutting  plow;  and  the  finisher's 
tools,  fillets,  and  rolls  are  all  similar  to  his. 

Modern  workmanship  chiefly  differs  from  the  old 
in  its  greater  exactness  and  neatness ;  its  mechanism 
is  identical,  but  it  is  often  lacking  in  the  solidity  and 
strength  of  the  old.  The  sewing  of  many  old  volumes 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDERED.  17 

is  as  good  to-day  as  when  it  was  done  centuries  ago. 
The  old  binder's  aim  was  undoubtedly  strength ;  his 
crudity  of  workmanship  was  largely  owing  to  the 
means  he  adopted  to  obtain  this  strength,  and  to  his 
application  in  all  the  branches  of  his  art.  By  the 
division  of  labor  we  are  in  general  the  gainers  of 
an  exactness  and  neatness  unknown  to  the  ancient 
binder. 

The  principal  branches  or  departments  of  Extra 
Binding  are  : 

First,  The  Preparing,  or  getting  ready. 

Second,  The  Forwarding. 

Third,  The  Covering. 

Fourth,  The  Finishing,  or  decoration  of  the  cover. 

The  preparing,  or  getting  ready,  involves  the  fold- 
ing, or  the  pulling  to  pieces  (if  the  volume  has  been 
previously  bound),  the  beating  and  pressing,  the 
plating,  or  insertion  of  illustrations,  the  collating, 
and  the  sewing. 

In  getting  ready  the  volume  for  binding,  three  of 
the  most  important  principles  of  a  well-bound  book 


18  MODEEN     BOOKBINDING 

are  involved.  These  are  Solidity,  Strength,  and 
Flexibility.  So  important  are  these,  I  care  not  how 
handsomely  the  cover  is  finished,  whether  by  a 
Trautz,  a  Cape,  or  a  Lortic,  the  binding  will  be 
lamentably  deficient  if  these  principles  are  not  ob- 
served. A  careful  master  binder  gives  this  depart- 
ment his  chief  care,  directing  the  initiatory  parts  of 
the  work  with  an  intelligent  foresight  of  the  ulti- 
mate requirements  of  the  binding.  The  success  of 
his  workmanship  very  largely  depends  on  the  volume 
being  properly  prepared. 

We  all  know  that  the  printed  sheet  is  so  imposed 
by  the  printer  that  it  cannot  be  read  until  it  is 
folded,  and  that  the  several  sheets  do  not  become  a 
book  until  they  are  arranged  consecutively.  On  true 
folding  depends  equal  margins  and  squareness  of  page. 

The  rules  to  observe  in  this  department,  though 
simple,  are  important.  The*  first  is  careful  collating. 
The  late  Mr.  James  Lenox,  whose  equal  among  col- 
lectors in  this  respect  I  never  knew,  collated  every 
volume  before  he  sent  it  to,  and  after  he  received  it 
from,  the  binder.  The  bill  was  paid  as  soon  as  he 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEKED.  19 

found  every  leaf  perfect,  both  blank  and  printed; 
never  before.  I  shall  never  forget  my  first  visit  to 
his  house,  where  he  summoned  me  on  business.  The 
maid  who  admitted  me  locked  the  front  door,  taking 
the  key  with  her,  and  then  closed  the  inner  one,  leav- 
ing me  standing  in  the  vestibule  a  prisoner.  I  recol- 
lect my  sensation  at  the  peculiarity  of  my  situation. 
Mr.  Lenox,  however,  soon  came,  transacted  his  busi- 
ness with  me  in  the  vestibule,  and  when  through 
unlocked  the  outer  door  and  let  me  go,  I  none  the 
wiser  as  to  the  beautiful  house  and  its  contents.  At 
my  next  visit  I  was  admitted  to  the  inner  hall,  and 
ultimately,  after  many  visits,  to  his  splendid  library. 
From  him  I  first  learned  how  to  split  paper,  and  some 
of  his  De  Bry  I  perfected  with  illustrations  split  off 
from  duplicate  copies.  He  was  one  of  the  few  col- 
lectors who  knew  the  inside  as  well  as  the  outside  of 
his  collection. 

From  his  careful  collating  I  made  the  rule  that 
every  book  of  value,  on  its  receipt,  should  be  collated 
page  by  page ;  its  title,  preface,  and  list  of  contents 
examined;  if  an  illustrated  book,  every  plate  checked 


20  MODEKN     BOOKBINDING 

by  its  list ;  then,  if  found  imperfect,  I  would  have  the 
satisfaction  of  returning  it  to  my  customer  in  a  con- 
dition returnable  by  him  to  the  person  from  whom 
he  had  purchased  it.  If  the  volume  is  perfect  it  is 
then  divested  of  its  old  cover,  and  section  by  section 
pulled  apart  or  separated,  and  every  thread  and 
particle  of  old  glue  removed.  For  the  better  beating 
and  pressing  of  the  volume  the  illustrations  or  maps, 
if  any,  are  removed,  then  the  texture  of  the  paper 
and  date  of  publication  are  examined,  and  the  vol- 
ume subjected  to  beating  and  pressing  accordingly. 
If,  as  in  many  old  volumes,  the  impressions  of  the 
type  are  heavy,  the  leaves  should  be  damped  and 
pressed  in  smooth  boards,  for  no  book  can  be  made 
solid  with  these  impressions  in.  For  the  permanent 
solidity  of  the  volume  beating  is  the  best  process  to 
obtain  it.  A  spongy  book  is  very  unsatisfactory.  No 
process  of  pressing  or  rolling  is  equal  to  the  old- 
fashioned  beating  hammer.  The  impression  of  the 
types  having  stretched  the  center  of  the  page  some- 
what, while  the  margins  have  received  no  impression, 
confines  the  stretch  to  the  center,  causing  the  cock- 


PRACTICALLY     CONSIDERED.  21 

ling  that  is  always  observed  in  old  books.  This 
renders  it  necessary  that  the  margins  be  equally 
stretched  by  the  hammer  to  give  freedom  to  the  swell. 
Beating  as  it  used  to  be  practiced  is  now  almost  a  lost 
art.  The  workman  takes  eight  or  ten  sheets  in  his 
left  hand,  and  with  a  hammer  of  twelve  or  fourteen 
pounds  weight  in  his  right  hand  brings  successive 
blows  on  the  sheets  on  a  solid  block  of  stone  or  iron, 
shifting  the  sheets  at  every  blow. 

From  the  fear  of  set-off,  books  newly  printed  can 
be  beat  only  on  the  margins;  but  old  printed  vol- 
umes should  be  beat  all  over  the  page.  After  this 
the  sheets  in  thin  sections  must  be  pressed  for 
twenty-four  hours  in  smooth  boards  in  a  screw 
or  hydraulic  press.  Sometimes  with  very  old  books 
it  is  necessary  to  repeat  the  operation;  and  here  I 
would  remark  that  if  the  patron  knew  how  often, 
to  produce  first-class  work,  the  binder  has  to  repeat 
his  processes,  he  would  be  less  strict  in  confining 
him  to  a  price.  Good,  conscientious  binding  cannot 
be  obtained  without  a  frequent  outlay  of  extra  labor, 
and  therefore  no  comparison  should  be  used  by  a 


22  MODEKN     BOOKBINDING 

patron  of  the  dishonest  work  of  one  binder  to  reduce 
the  honest  price  of  another.  When  the  volume  is 
taken  out  of  press  every  leaf  should  lie  flat  and  the 
volume  should  be  as  solid  as  a  brick,  provided  the 
paper  is  of  proper  quality.  Many  volumes  bound  in 
the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  have  large 
notches  cut  in  the  back  for  the  twine  bands ;  these 
notches  should  be  repaired  if  the  volume  is  required 
in  best  binding.  The  result  will  well  repay  the 
tedious  operation. 

All  plates  and  maps  that  have  been  removed  can 
now  be  replaced.  If  the  illustrations  are  on  thick 
paper,  they  should  be  guarded  with  jaconet  on  both 
sides ;  if  on  moderately  thin  paper,  one  side  will  suf- 
fice. The  jaconet  should  then,  to  insure  the  free 
opening  up  of  the  illustration  to  the  back  of  the 
book,  be  brought  round  the  sheet,  or  section  of  the 
sheet,  to  avoid  the  pasting  of  the  illustration  to  the 
leaf  it  backs  or  faces.  This  will  insure  flexibility 
and  free  opening.  The  book,  having  been  handled 
since  first  collated,  should  now,  immediately  before 
sewing,  be  re-collated.  First,  see  that  the  half  title, 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  23 

the  full  title,  the  dedication,  the  preface,  the  list  of 
contents,  the  list  of  illustrations,  all  precede  the  text 
in  the  order  named;  then  the  text,  and  lastly  the 
index,  if  any.  Second,  check  the  illustrations  by 
the  list  and  see  that  they  face  the  required  pages. 
When  the  illustrations  are  printed  lengthways  of  the 
book  always  place  them  with  the  title  running  from 
bottom  to  top  of  the  page.  Placing  this  class  of 
illustrations  both  ways,  as  practiced  by  some  pic- 
torial paper  and  magazine  printers,  is  an  error  which 
should  be  immediately  corrected.  When  so  placed 
the  reader,  to  view  them,  has  to  turn  the  volume 
from  left  to  right  and  from  right  to  left,  and  if  the 
volume  is  large  this  is  an  annoying  labor.  Some  few 
argue  the  opposite  of  this  rule  by  asserting  that  the 
title  or  reading  on  the  plate  should  always  go  to  the 
foredge ;  but  which  is  more  important,  a  convenient 
view  of  the  illustration  or  its  title  ?  Lastly,  collate 
the  sheets  by  signature  marks  from  beginning  to  end. 
And  now  the  all-important  branch  of  sewing  must 
engage  our  attention.  Strength  and  Flexibility  are 
the  principles  involved.  Strength  is  the  first  princi- 


24  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

pie  in  binding — we  all  acknowledge  its  importance ; 
it  is,  in  fact,  the  economy  of  the  whole  art.  Flex- 
ibility, however,  is  necessary  to  the  convenient  and 
comfortable  use  of  every  book;  it  is  a  luxurious 
quality.  In  the  perfect  binding  of  any  book  both 
these  principles  must  exist  —  the  sheets  must  be 
firmly  and  permanently  secured,  and  yet  the  vol- 
ume when  bound  must  open  flexibly  and  freely.  To 
insure  both  these  principles  in  the  sewing  is  a  diffi- 
cult problem  for  the  binder  to  solve,  considering 
the  variety  of  material  that  comes  to  his  hand.  If 
the  volume  has  been  previously  bound — as  the  ma- 
jority of  the  publications  are  at  the  present  day — by 
machine  methods,  with  deep  saw-cuts  in  the  back, 
then  it  is  useless  to  sew  the  book  so  flexibly  that  the 
free  opening  of  the  sheets  exposes  these  defects ;  it 
becomes  rather  a  necessity  to  hide  them  by  making 
the  back  rigid  and  difficult  to  open ;  but  we  all  know 
what  a  dreadful  sacrifice  of  comfort  this  is  to  the 
reader.  Again,  if  the  volume  is  composed  of  single 
leaves,  perhaps  of  thin  text  and  heavy  illustrations, 
or  if  the  age  of  the  volume  has  rotted  or  weakened 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  25 

the  back  of  the  sections,  the  style  of  sewing  best 
adapted  to  insure  flexibility  and  strength  cannot  be 
adopted.  And  not  only  has  the  binder  to  take  into 
consideration  the  material  to  be  sewed,  but  also  the 
leather  with  which  the  volume  is  to  be  covered; 
for  all  leathers  are  not  equally  suitable  for  a  flexible 
back.  Calf,  whether  dull  or  polished  in  the  finish,  is 
not  suitable  for  a  flexible  back,  nor  is  crushed  levant, 
owing  to  its  polished  surface ;  because  the  free  open- 
ing of  a  flexible  back  will  wrinkle  and  destroy  the 
finish  of  these  leathers.  For  these  leathers  a  par- 
tially flexible  style  may  be  aimed  at.  This  is  un- 
doubtedly the  reason  why  all  books  bound  in  Paris 
in  crushed  levant  are  so  rigid  and  difficult  to  open. 
The  French  binders  prefer  to  preserve  the  beauty 
of  the  finished  back  of  their  bindings  rather  than  to 
give  their  customers  the  luxury  of  a  flexible  binding. 
With  these  and  some  other  exceptions  considered, 
the  style  best  adapted  to  insure  strength  and  flex- 
ibility is  that  technically  styled  Raised  bands,  or 
Flexible  sewing.  Whenever  it  is  practicable  it  is 
the  very  best  for  durability  and  convenience.  It  is 

4 


26  MODEEN     BOOKBINDING 

the  method  adopted  by  the  old  binders,  not  so  much 
on  their  part  for  flexibility,  however,  as  for  strength; 
they  used  double  bands  generally — thongs  of  raw- 
hide suitable  for  lacing  into  their  wooden  boards. 
Strength  was  their  mam  object,  and  thankful  ought 
we  to  be  to  them  that  not  only  was  it  aimed  at  but 
secured. 

The  ami  in  our  day  is  cheapness ;  hence  strength 
in  sewing  is  avoided.  The  sewing  is  so  effectually 
covered  up  in  the  binding  that  the  public  cannot 
examine  its  quality,  and  are  therefore  easily  hood- 
winked. Efforts  to  depart  long  ago  from  the  system 
of  the  old  binders  caused  a  law  to  be  enacted  in 
England  fining  any  binder  who  sewed  his  books  on 
false  bands.  Eaised-band  sewing  requires  no  saw 
marks;  the  needle's  point  is  all  that  can  be  seen. 
There  are  no  gashes  or  furrows  for  the  glue  to  fill 
and  rigidly  bind  the  back ;  the  back  is  perfectly  flex- 
ible. There  are  five  bands  of  hard  twisted  cord 
which  act  as  so  many  springs  at  the  back,  throwing 
the  sheets  up  to  open  freely  without  danger  of  strain. 
The  thread  takes  its  course  through  the  center  of 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEEED.  27 

the  sheet,  making  in  succession  an  entire  circle  of 
each  band,  hugging  them  close  to  the  sections,  thus : 

"°  ^  IS  ®  ®  ®  °~ 

This  style  of  sewing  is  specially  suited  for  Bibles, 
Cyclopaedias,  Dictionaries,  and  books  of  reference ;  in 
fact,  it  should  be  employed  in  every  case  of  fine  bind- 
ing where  the  material  and  the  style  of  cover  renders 
it  practicable.  Morocco  of  an  unpolished  finish  is  the 
best  leather  to  use  where  this  style  of  sewing  is 
adopted.  It  is  three  or  four  times  the  cost  of  the 
ordinary,  or  sunk-band,  sewing,  and  must  not  be 
expected  in  cheap  work.  It  must  also  be  understood 
that  the  bands  upon  which  the  sheets  are  sewed  in 
this  style  are  the  veritable  bands  on  the  back  of  the 
book  when  finished,  whereas  in  the  ordinary  style  of 
sewing  false  bands  are  used.  Sunk-band  is  the  ordi- 
nary style  of  the  book  sewing  of  our  time.  Here  the 
sheets  are  sawed  with  three  or  five  furrows  to  admit  the 
bands  of  twine  and  give  the  needle  greater  freedom. 
The  band,  and  the  glue  that  sinks  into  these  saw- 
cuts,  together  with  the  back  lining  necessary  to  cover 
them,  render  the  back  very  stiff  and  rigid,  giving  a 


28  MODEEN     BOOKBINDING 

resistance  to  the  free  opening  of  the  book,  and  when 
force  is  used  the  result  is  often  a  broken  back.  The 
sewing  is  also  much  weaker  than  in  the  raised-band 
style,  the  thread  only  making  a  half  instead  of  a  full 
circle  of  the  band.  This  style  of  sewing  is  customary 
on  much  of  our  best  library  work,  because  American 
publishers  have  a  greater  regard  for  cheapness  than 
the  fitness  of  their  publications  for  rebinding.  The 
publishers  of  France  and  Germany  favor  the  better 
style  by  issuing  most  of  their  publications  either  in 
paper  or  cloth  sewed  cheaply  with  a  sharp  pointed 
needle,  not  needing  saw  marks.  Every  one  who  com- 
pares an  English  and  an  American  cloth-bound  book 
will  observe  how  much  more  freely  the  English  book 
opens.  True,  it  may  be  said  the  binding  is  too  free 
and  the  back  not  strong  enough;  but  the  English 
consider  cloth  as  a  temporary  binding,  whereas  we 
try  to  make  it  a  permanent  one  by  sawing  it  and 
glueing  it,  and  lining  it  with  muslin  and  paper,  as 
though  flexibility  was  entirely  abandoned  as  a  prin- 
ciple of  bookbinding.  Were  our  publishers  of  stand- 
ard literature  willing  to  pay  two  or  three  cents  extra 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  29 

per  volume  to  have  their  publications  sewed  on  tape 
without  saw-marks,  they  would  effect  a  great  im- 
provement in  binding  and  confer  a  benefit  on  the 
book-loving  community.  A  demand  of  this  kind 
would  help  to  bring  about  what  I  have  for  some 
time  been  promoting,  the  invention  of  a  sewing 
machine  that  did  not  require  saw-cuts. 

There  is  another  style  of  sewing,  called  overcast- 
ing, for  single  leaves,  as  in  volumes  of  steel  illus- 
trations, music,  and  the  like.  Four  or  six  of  these 
leaves  are  overcast  neatly  together  and  then  sewed 
through  like  folded  sheets,  but  better  still  if  the 
illustrations  are  guarded  with  jaconet.  The  first 
and  last  sheet  of  every  well-bound  book  should  be 
overcast,  as  this  enables  these  sheets  the  better  to 
hold  the  end-paper  and  withstand  the  working  of 
the  boards.  The  sewing  of  the  volume  finishes  the 
work  in  the  preparatory  department,  and  the  col- 
lector will  bear  in  mind  the  important  principles 
here  involved — solidity  in  the  thorough  beating  and 
pressing  of  the  sheets,  and  the  style  of  sewing  that 
will  insure  both  strength  and  flexibility.  If  the  book 


30 


MODEEN     BOOKBINDING. 


is  to  be  bound  in  morocco,  and  the  sheets  have 
not  been  deeply  sawed  in,  order  the  raised  band 
sewing;  the  difference  of  cost  will  be  small  on  a 
binding  costing  dollars. 


|HE  volume  now  goes  to  the  forwarding  de- 
partment. The  term  forwarding  is  some- 
what technical,  and  implies  that  the  volume 
in  this  department  is  forwarded  from  the  preparing 
to  the  finishing.  The  processes  here  are  largely 
mechanical  in  distinction  from  the  finishing;  they 
are  more  dependent  on  the  skill  of  the  hand  than 
the  head.  The  chief  principle  involved  is  trueness. 
Forwarding  is  literally  the  forming  or  shaping  of 
the  book.  The  operations  are  the  attaching  of  the 
end-papers,  the  glueing,  rounding,  and  backing  of 
the  volume,  the  squaring  and  lacing  in  of  the  boards, 
and  the  cutting  of  the  edges. 

The  selection  of  suitable  inside  linings  or  ends  has 
always  been  a  difficult  question  of  taste  and  judg- 
ment. That  which  is  alike  suitable,  appropriate,  and 
beautiful  cannot  easily  be  obtained.  In  determining 
the  question  it  must  be  remembered  the  lining  is  the 

31 


32  MODEEN     BOOKBINDING 

inside  finish,  to  the  cover,  the  first  attraction  on  open- 
ing it.  The  eye  therefore  seems  to  look  for  some- 
thing in  consonance  with  the  cover — not  necessarily 
similar  in  tint  or  richness,  but  either  in  harmony  or 
agreeable  contrast.  If  the  cover  is  plain  the  linings 
may  also  be  simple,  though  we  often  see  exceptions 
to  this  in  richly  decorated  insides  to  Janseniste  bind- 
ing ;  if  the  cover  is  handsomely  tooled  the  linings  are 
more  appropriate  if  rich.  To  establish  their  suitable- 
ness the  quality  of  the  linings  should  be  permanent 
in  character,  especially  in  tint,  resisting  the  grease  of 
the  leather,  the  stain  of  paste,  and  the  fading  of  color 
by  time.  Their  appropriateness  and  beauty  depend 
on  the  color  and  richness  of  the  cover.  Therefore 
these  points  must  be  borne  in  mind  in  the  selection. 

The  French,  whom  we  are  apt  to  acknowledge  as 
our  best  guides  in  taste,  often  select  for  the  insides  of 
their  handsome  bindings  moire  silk ;  but  this  does  not 
work  well  with  leather,  and  is  more  pleasing  to  the 
feminine  eye  than  to  the  taste  of  either  the  binder  or 
collector.  In  their  more  costly  bindings  they  adopt 
the  double  style,  which  is  leather  inside  the  board 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  33 

similar  in  quality  though  different  in  color  to  the 
outside.  This  leads  to  expensive  ornamentation  and 
only  half  solves  the  question,  leaving  the  selection  of 
the  fly-leaf  a  matter  still  to  be  determined.  In  their 
ordinary  library  bindings  they  use  marbled  paper. 
Crimson,  lavender,  and  violet  tinted  papers  were  very 
much  used  by  Mackenzie,  Lewis,  and  other  English 
binders  during  the  time  of  Dibdin,  who  approved 
their  use ;  but  time  has  condemned  them :  they  show 
the  stain  of  grease  from  the  turning  in  leather  and 
by  the  fading  of  the  colors.  Marbled  paper  does  not 
show  the  stains  of  grease  and  paste,  and  is  more 
durable  in  color  than  the  tinted  paper.  Unfortu- 
nately, the  bad  taste  of  marblers  and  the  careless 
judgment  of  binders  in  selection  have  justly  created 
a  distaste  for  marbled  paper ;  but  its  suitableness  is 
established  by  the  use  of  centuries.  Its  permanent 
character  has  been  proved  by  time:  it  resists  the 
stains  of  grease  and  paste,  and  its  colors  are  unfad- 
ing. It  is  true  it  lacks  the  richness  necessary  for  a 
very  richly  decorated  binding.  In  such  case  there 
is  nothing  left  but  to  adopt  the  double  style.  In 


34  MODEKN     BOOKBINDING 

general  bindings  I  favor,  from  the  lack  of  anything 
better,  marbled  paper ;  it  should,  however,  be  paper 
of  the  very  best  quality,  the  marbling  in  good  taste, 
and  the  prevailing  color  either  in  harmony  or  agree- 
able contrast  with  the  color  of  the  cover.  If  mar- 
biers  would  produce  patterns  with  the  principal  color 
favoring  or  agreeable  in  contrast  to  the  prevailing 
shades  of  leather,  instead  of  intermingling  in  a  hodge- 
podge manner  every  color  they  possess,  they  would 
help  to  correct  the  distaste  for  marbled  paper  that 
now  prevails.  I  have  lately  had  a  paper  marbled 
with  one  color  only — it  is  a  deep  crimson;  I  have 
used  it  in  a  volume  covered  in  dark  olive  morocco, 
and  the  effect  is  agreeable.  Vellum  fly-leaves  are 
very  subject  to  the  stain  of  the  turning  in  leather 
and  are  likely  to  warp  and  curl;  they  should  only 
be  used  for  books  printed  on  vellum,  or  for  pur- 
poses of  inside  decorative  illumination.  The  richly 
decorated  papers  introduced  by  De  la  Kue  from  de- 
signs by  Owen  Jones,  though  extensively  used  many 
years  ago,  did  not  become  popular.  In  richness  I 
have  never  seen  them  surpassed. 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  35 

The  fly-leaves,  whatever  they  may  be,  having  been 
securely  attached,  the  volume  is  forwarded.  Strength 
and  flexibility,  the  principles  named  as  all  impor- 
tant in  preparing  the  volume,  are  dependent  in  a 
measure  on  the  forwarding  and  covering  processes : 
for  instance,  strength  in  the  thorough  rubbing  of 
good  and  hot  glue  between  the  sections,  and  flexi- 
bility in  the  careful  lining  of  the  back  preparatory 
to  covering.  But,  as  I  have  said,  the  important 
principle  to  be  observed  in  forwarding  is  trueness. 
The  form  and  shape  of  the  book  depends  on  the 
forwarder,  and  the  test  of  the  quality  of  his  work 
is  its  trueness.  The  back  of  the  volume  must  be 
rounded  true,  otherwise  when  the  foredge  is  cut  the 
concave  of  that  edge  will  be  untrue ;  the  millboards 
must  be  squared  truly,  or  the  volume  will  stand 
unevenly  and  the  finisher's  design  be  untrue;  the 
squares — by  these  are  meant  the  projections  of  the 
boards  that  extend  beyond  the  book  when  it  is  cut — 
must  be  equal  and  regulated  in  size  according  to  the 
size  of  the  volume ;  and,  more  important  than  all, 
on  trueness  of  cutting  depends  trueness  of  margins. 


36  MODEKN     BOOKBINDING 

The  backing  of  the  volume,  which  is  the  spreading 
of  the  back  with  a  hammer  to  form  grooves  for  the 
boards  and  joints  for  the  book,  must  be  exactly  true, 
or  the  boards  will  open  askew  like  a  door  crookedly 
hinged.  Thus  the  processes  of  the  forwarder  are 
important  in  the  production  of  a  well-bound  book. 

After  the  processes  of  glueing,  rounding,  and  back- 
ing, the  boards  are  laced  to  the  book  with  the  bands 
the  volume  was  sewed  on ;  then  the  volume  is  placed 
in  the  standing  press  for  at  least  twenty-four  hours 
to  set  solidly  the  new  form  it  has  assumed.  While 
in  the  press  the  back  is  soaked  with  paste  and  all  the 
refuse  or  outside  glue  cleaned  from  it,  rendering  it 
more  flexible.  When  the  back  is  dry  the  volume  is 
taken  from  the  press,  cut  on  the  edges  and  then  sent 
to  the  gilder  or  marbler  as  the  order  may  require. 

A  gilt  edge  is  the  only  proper  edge  for  a  hand- 
somely bound  volume;  the  metal  leaf  preserves  the 
edge  of  the  paper,  dust  is  easily  removed  from  it,  and 
it  is  elegant  in  appearance.  Gilding  over  carmine  or 
marble  adds  richness  and  beauty  to  the  edges.  The 
gilding  of  the  f  oredge  in  the  round  is  very  superior 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEKED.  37 

to  gilding  flat,  as  in  ordinary  binding  it  is  usually 
done.  As  a  collector,  I  should  preserve  uncut  all 
books  that  came  into  my  hands  in  that  state,  gild- 
ing the  tops  only;  but  if  the  edges  have  once  been 
cut  and  I  desired  a  handsome  and  permanent  bind- 
ing, I  should  full  gild. 

It  is  often  a  doubtful  point  with  the  collector 
what  leather  is  best  for  the  cover  of  his  volumes. 
This  is  best  determined  by  a  knowledge  of  the 
qualities  of  the  various  skins. 

Sheepskin  is  the  commonest  leather  used  for  bind- 
ing. When  unsplit  it  is  called  a  roan ;  when  split  in 
two  the  upper  half  is  called  a  skiver,  the  under  or 
fleshy  half  a  fleslier.  The  surface  of  sheep,  whether 
as  a  roan  or  skiver,  is  very  tender,  easily  rubs,  and 
soon  looks  shabby.  In  the  substance  of  a  roan  the 
skin  is  fairly  strong,  but  slightly  weaker  as  a  skiver. 

I  was  called  lately  to  see  a  law  library  by  its  bind- 
ing committee.  You  know  the  profession  has  a  style 
of  binding  peculiar  to  itself  —  a  tan-colored  sheep  or 
calf  of  an  "underdone  pie-crust"  color,  as  I  have 
lately  heard  it  called.  I  was  astonished  to  see  fully 


38  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

one-eighth  of  the  books  with  the  hollow  backs 
broken  at  one  joint  and  pointing  out  at  right  angles 
from  their  proper  position,  like  so  many  indexes  or 
open  doors.  I  was  shown  .the  rottenness  of  the 
leather  crumbling  into  dust  and  was  asked  the 
reason.  I  informed  the  committee  that  the  covers 
of  law  books  are  generally  washed  with  oxalic  acid 
to  give  them  a  clean  appearance,  and  the  binder  is  so 
careless  a  chemist  that  its  strength  is  seldom  tested 
with  accuracy ;  that  this,  with  the  heat  and  gas  of 
the  library,  soon  renders  the  leather  as  rotten  as 
blotting-paper.  This,  then,  as  one  of  the  committee 
observed,  is  one  of  the  tricks  of  the  trade.  I  recom- 
mended a  morocco  back,  and  with  a  view  to  suiting 
their  taste  in  color  I  bound  them  a  volume  in  a  tan- 
colored  morocco,  but  I  fear  the  few  extra  cents  of 
expense  caused  them  to  resolve  to  continue  sheep- 
skin, and  even  skiver  sheep  at  that.  I  know  that  if 
morocco  backs  were  used  in  the  binding  of  volumes 
in  all  our  public  libraries  the  binding  bills  would  be 
less  in  the  long  run  and  the  volumes  less  often 
absent  from  their  shelves  to  the  binder's.  Eepeated 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEEED.  39 

rebinding  is  destructive  to  books.  Library  commit- 
tees as  a  rule  adopt  a  false  cheapness.  Wlien  Dr. 
Cogswell  was  organizing  the  Astor  Library,  over 
thirty-five  years  ago,  he  insisted  on  having  a  con- 
siderable number  of  the  volumes  he  collected  bound 
in  blue  skiver  backs  and  corners.  Low  prices  he 
certainly  attained :  he  afterwards  prided  himself  on 
getting  so  many  books  bound  for  so  little  money. 
How  long  these  bindings  stood  I  know  not ;  if  any  of 
them  are  still  intact  they  must  have  been  very  little 
used.  Sheepskin  is  therefore  not  durable  for  the 
covers  of  books  that  are  to  receive  much  usage,  nor 
is  it  suitable  for  elegant  finish. 

Of  late  years  a  skin  has  been  introduced  for 
bookbinding  called  a  Persian,  or  bastard;  in  the 
substance  it  is  as  strong  as  goatskin  and  resists 
tearing,  but  on  the  surface  is  tender  like  sheep 
and  shows  many  imperfections.  It  is  by  far  a 
better  skin  than  sheep  for  school  and  library  books. 
It  is  very  little  higher  in  price  than  roan.  Calfskin, 
especially  the  colored  calf  of  English  manufacture, 
is  very  beautiful.  It  is  soft  and  pleasant  to  the 


40  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

hand;  its  delicate  tints  and  brilliant  colors,  with 
contrasting  colored  labels  for  titles,  add  variety 
and  much  beauty  to  the  bookcase.  True,  it  soils 
from  the  moist  hand  and  is  not  in  strength  as 
desirable  as  we  would  wish,  but  is  nevertheless  an 
excellent  leather  for  the  covers  of  duodecimos  and 
is  very  suitable  for  ordinary  standard  literature. 
I  will  say  here  that  I  do  not  recommend  pol- 
ished calf  or  tree-marbled  calf  as  superior  in  wear 
to  the  plain;  the  covers  of  both  are  more  liable 
to  warp  and  show  scratching  and  rubbing.  A 
few  samples  of  these  styles  are  well  to  possess. 

Russia  seems  to  be  a  cowhide  —  certainly  not  the 
buffalo  hide  I  was  led  in  my  apprenticeship  to  be- 
lieve. It  is  of  the  same  nature  as  calfskin — liable 
to  crack;  in  fact,  is  more  brittle  than  English 
calf  and  its  red  color  fades  very  quickly.  It  has 
nothing  but  its  scent  to  recommend  it,  and  it  cer- 
tainly has  not  the  quality  to  resist  insects,  as  many 
suppose.  In  my  youth  it  was  very  expensive  and 
consequently  held  in  great  esteem  for  strength 
and  durability;  hence  many  a  noble  folio  got  clad 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  41 

in  it  that  their  possessors  now  wish  had  been  in 
morocco. 

No  skin  for  fine  binding  is  equal  to  that  of  the 
goat.  Webster  says  morocco  is  chiefly  from  the 
goat,  though  a  cheaper  kind  is  made  from  sheep; 
and  I  see  also  a  similar  definition  in  Stormonth's 
new  dictionary.  He  says  morocco  is  a  fine  kind 
of  grained  leather  prepared  from  goatskin  and  often 
from  sheepskin.  These  definitions  are  misleading: 
morocco  is  goatskin  and  goatskin  only  ;  sheepskin  is 
used  only  for  an  imitation.  The  difference  existing 
in  the  ordinary  turkey  morocco  is  simply  a  difference 
in  the  breed  of  the  animal,  the  grain,  stoutness,  and 
quality  depending  on  the  locality  of  the  breed. 

Levant  morocco  is  the  skin  of  the  monarch  breed 
of  goat,  the  skin  de  luxe  for  bookbinding,  superior 
to  all  other  skins  in  strength  and  grain  and  the 
beauty  of  finish  which  its  surface  is  capable  of  tak- 
ing. If  the  breed  came  originally  from  the  Levant, 
which  we  are  led  to  believe,  the  great  demand  for 
it  lately  has  no  doubt  extended  its  geographical  limit, 
and  some  Cape  and  other  district  goatskins  are  now 

6 


42  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

undoubtedly  used;   one  satisfaction  in  this  is  that 
the  strength  is  just  as  great. 

The  ordinary  turkey  morocco  is  so  called  from  the 
pebble  grain  which  it  takes,  and  to  distinguish  it 
from  the  smooth  and  straight-grained  morocco  that 
was  in  use  before  its  introduction.  It  has  all  the 
requisite  qualities  for  fine  and  durable  binding:  it 
is  stronger  than  any  other  kind  of  skin  excepting 
levant,  and  when  properly  tanned  is  very  difficult  to 
tear ;  its  surface  when  grained  hard  will  resist  wear 
longer  than  other  leathers,  while  its  appearance  is 
always  rich  and  satisfactory.  Bind,  therefore,  your 
volumes  as  often  as  you  can  in  turkey  morocco,  and 
your  choice  ones  in  levant.  For  your  better  guid- 
ance I  repeat,  that  colored  skiver  will  answer  for 
books  to  which  you  seldom  refer,  and  for  volumes 
you  desire  to  bind  at  a  low  price ;  it  will  even  answer 
for  your  periodicals.  Calfskin  is  best  for  standard 
literature,  especially  volumes  of  the  duodecimo  size. 
Kussia  should  be  used  sparingly,  just  enough  to  vary 
the  library ;  it  is  particularly  appropriate  for  bibliog- 
raphy. But  for  all  books  of  constant  reference,  like 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEEED.  43 

cyclopaedias,  all  large  and  heavy  volumes,  all  fine 
art  works,  all  books  of  choice  value,  use  morocco, 
and  all  your  rare  and  precious  treasures  cover  in 
levant  and  have  it  crushed. 

The  selection  of  color  is  another  vexed  question. 
Some  are  in  favor  of  classification  by  colors,  such  as 
red  for  military,  green  for  botany,  brown  for  divin- 
ity, and  so  on.  This  is  largely  a  matter  of  fancy 
and  might  work  well  in  a  mixed  library,  but  there 
are  sore  and  perplexing  hindrances  to  the  best  laid 
schemes.  Others  again  favor  sober  colors,  are  quiet 
in  their  taste,  and  think  to  make  the  least  offense 
or  mistake  by  the  selection  of  quiet  browns.  I  have 
seen  the  error  of  both  these.  The  late  Thomas  P. 
Barton,  to  whom  Richard  Grant  White  dedicated 
his  Shakspere,  told  me  that  the  greatest  error  he 
ever  made  in  his  library  was  in  deciding  that  his 
Shaksperian  collection,  which  was  very  large,  should 
all  be  bound  in  red  morocco.  He  did  not  see  the 
expense,  risk,  and  trouble  he  was  resolving  upon. 
For  instance,  so  large  a  collection  is  made  through 
many  years  of  one's  life  and  supplied  from  distant 


44  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

points  and  unforeseen  circumstances.  He  told  me  lie 
often  had  to  order  the  purchase  of  a  Shaksperian 
work  from  the  sale  of  a  celebrated  library  in  Europe, 
and  when  he  received  it  he  often  found  it  gorgeously 
bound  in  purple  or  green ;  but  in  order  to  carry  out 
his  whim  the  beautiful  cover  had  to  be  torn  off  and 
the  volume  rebound  in  red  to  match  his  collection. 
And  even  then,  as  we  stood  in  front  of  over  a  thou- 
sand volumes  on  Shakspere,  he  pointed  out  after  all 
his  pains  the  various  shades  of  red  he  had  been 
obliged  to  accept.  "Never  again,"  said  he,  "will  I 
arbitrarily  determine  a  certain  color  for  a  class  of 
literature." 

Again,  the  late  George  T.  Strong,  who  was  a  gen- 
tleman of  very  quiet  taste,  began  his  collection  with 
a  preference  for  sober  browns.  Antique  calf  and 
brown  morocco  were  his  usual  orders.  After  several 
years  he  moved  into  a  new  house,  and  allowed  his 
cabinet-maker  to  build  his  bookcases  of  black  wal- 
nut, the  then  prevailing  taste  in  cabinet  work,  with- 
out thinking  of  the  effect  of  his  brown  bindings ;  he 
told  me  that  when  his  books  had  been  placed  in  the 


PBACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  45 

cases  he  went  to  his  library  expecting  the  most 
pleasing  effect,  but  instead  was  overcome  with  the 
most  depressing  sensation  of  disappointment.  From 
that  time  he  ordered  me  never  to  bind  any  book  of 
his,  religious  or  not,  in  brown,  but  in  red,  green, 
or  any  other  bright  color,  that  he  might  brighten 
up  the  dead  effect  of  his  library.  Here  an  ardent 
and  persevering  collector,  from  indulging  a  severe, 
quiet  taste,  had  destroyed  what  would  otherwise 
have  produced  great  pleasure.  The  most  satisfac- 
tory determination  in  the  selection  of  color  is  not 
to  be  arbitrary.  Favor  one  color  for  certain  litera- 
ture if  you  like,  but  do  not  let  it  control  you ;  favor 
bright  colors  rather  than  dark,  and  largely  encourage 
crimson.  When  I  argued  in  favor  of  the  latter  color 
to  a  gentleman  who  was  much  of  a  wag,  by  asserting 
that  the  volumes  in  the  Bibliotheque  Eoyale  were 
mostly  red,  he  said  he  hoped  they  were. 

As  another  instance  of  arbitrary  taste  in  color  of 
binding  I  will  mention  that  it  is  usual  to  put  In 
Memoriam  volumes  in  black  or  dark  brown.  A  lady 
eminent  for  her  benevolence  and  devotion  to  the 


46  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING. 

Church  was  astounded  at  my  suggestion  of  crimson 
for  the  cover  of  a  volume  she  had  collected  as  a 
memorial  of  her  father;  but  on  my  stating  the  fact 
that  the  clergy  had  always  favored  crimson  for  their 
church  books  and  pulpits  she  decided  at  once,  and 
one  of  the  handsomest  memorial  books  I  ever  bound 
is  covered  in  crimson  levant  richly  decorated.  To 
my  taste  the  very  handsomest  memorial  books  I  ever 
bound  were  for  a  lady  in  Boston,  in  white  vellum 
inlaid  with  black  kid  in  Etruscan  design.  We  are 
often  very  set  in  our  notions  of  taste  and  think  we 
are  right;  but  experience  often  proves  we  are  wrong. 
Notice  how  almost  geographically  our  taste  in  color 
is  limited.  In  New  York  our  houses  are  mostly 
brown,  in  Philadelphia  red,  in  Boston  grey.  In 
Italy  books  are  bound  mostly  in  white  parchment, 
in  Paris  in  red  morocco;  in  England  royal  purple 
was  the  favorite  tint,  and  in  America  it  is  brown. 
Of  one  hundred  dozen  of  morocco  that  I  use  ninety 
dozen  are  brown,  so  prevailing  is  the  taste  here  for 
that  color. 


II 


|HE  perfect  covering  of  the  volume  is  a 
very  important  and  difficult  branch  of  the 
work.  A  great  deal  of  time  is  spent  in 
covering  a  volume  in  levant  as  it  should  be,  and 
hence  much  time  can  be  saved  in  covering  it  care- 
lessly ;  excellence  of  workmanship  is  an  item  of  cost 
that  must  be  estimated  by  the  patron. 

Preparatory  to  the  covering  of  the  volume  the 
back  of  it  has  to  be  lined.  There  is  much  diversity 
of  opinion  regarding  hollow,  or  spring,  backs  and 
tight  backs.  It  is  recorded  that  hollow  backs  were 
first  used  in  the  eighteenth  century,  but  the  Maz- 
arin  Bible  that  we  saw  here  the  other  evening,  that 
was  said  to  be  in  its  original  binding,  had  a  hollow 
back.  It  certainly  was  the  first  I  ever  saw  on  a  fif- 
teenth or  sixteenth  century  binding.  I  have  always 
looked  on  the  hollow  back  as  useful  for  only  one 
purpose,  and  that  is  the  prevention  of  the  wrink- 
ling of  the  leather  on  the  back.  Though  by  a 


48  MODEKN     BOOKBINDING 

properly  constructed  muslin  hollow  prope,r  strength 
can  be  given,  yet  I  have  always  looked  upon  a  tight 
back  as  more  durable,  especially  where  morocco  is 
the  leather  used.  Morocco  does  not  show  wrinkling. 
On  the  proper  lining  of  the  back  the  durability  and 
flexibility  largely  depend.  If  you  take  a  book  with- 
out any  lining  on  its  back  and  open  it,  you  will  find 
it  very  flexible;  but  a  very  little  use  in  this  state 
would  develop  its  weakness.  Therefore  a  muslin  lin- 
ing must  be  used  to  give  the  back  strength,  and  two 
pieces  if  the  paper  of  the  volume  is  heavy ;  though 
recollect  that  every  additional  lining  renders  the  back 
less  flexible.  Usually  a  single  lining  and  the  leather 
cover  is  sufficient  to  insure  both  strength  and  flexi- 
bility. This  is  what  is  called  a  tight  back,  and  is 
by  far  the  best  and  most  durable. 

For  calf  binding  a  hollow  back  is  customary, 
though  Bedford  often  made  his  calf  bindings  with 
tight  backs.  Were  tight  backs  used  for  our  public 
libraries  none  would  be  seen  in  the  condition  of  the 
law  library  I  have  mentioned ;  that  condition  is  only 
possible  with  hollow  backs. 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEKED.  49 

In  all  large  volumes,  even  in  octavos,  where  price 
of  binding  will  permit,  a  narrow  joint  of  morocco 
should  be  used  inside;  paper,  as  it  is  now  made, 
is  not  strong  enough  for  the  constant  working  of 
the  board  in  the  joint.  To  obtain  this,  order  narrow 
leather  joints.  A  book,  when  neatly  and  cleanly 
covered,  is  in  a  very  satisfactory  condition  without 
any  finishing  or  decoration.  Handle  it ;  open  it. 
Do  the  boards  open  freely  and  close  flatly  and 
solidly?  Is  the  joint  square,  the  board  evenly  on 
the  top  of  it?  Run  your  thumb  along  it,  and  if 
flat  and  square,  without  any  ridges,  so  far  well ; 
and  now  open  the  book.  Here  I  will  detain  you  a 
moment  to  instruct  you  how  to  open  it.  Hold  the 
book  with  its  back  on  a  smooth  or  covered  table ; 
let  the  front  board  down,  then  the  other,  holding  the 
leaves  in  one  hand  while  you  open  a  few  leaves  at  the 
back,  then  a  few  at  the  front,  and  so  go  on,  alter- 
nately opening  back  and  front,  gently  pressing  open 
the  sections  till  you  reach  the  center  of  the  volume. 
Do  this  two  or  three  times  and  you  will  obtain  the 
best  results.  Open  the  volume  violently  or  care- 


DO  MODEEN     BOOKBINDING 

lessly  in  any  one  place  and  you  will  likely  break  the 
back  and  cause  a  start  in  the  leaves.  Never  force 
the  back ;  if  it  does  not  yield  to  gentle  opening  rely 
upon  it  the  back  is  too  tightly  or  strongly  lined.  A 
connoisseur  many  years  ago,  an  excellent  customer 
of  mine,  who  thought  he  knew  perfectly  how  to 
handle  books,  came  into  my  office  when  I  had  an 
expensive  binding  just  brought  from  the  bindery 
ready  to  be  sent  home ;  he,  before  my  eyes,  took 
hold  of  the  volume,  and  tightly  holding  the  leaves 
in  each  hand,  instead  of  allowing  them  free  play, 
violently  opened  it  in  the  center  and  exclaimed, 
"  How  beautifully  your  bindings  open."  I  almost 
fainted.  He  had  broken  the  back  of  the  volume, 
and  it  had  to  be  rebound. 

Having  now  described  the  preparing,  the  forward- 
ing, and  the  covering  of  the  volume,  I  now  declare 
the  book  in  this  condition  is  bound,  and  he  who  has 
skillfully  mastered  these  various  processes  through 
which  the  volume  has  passed  deserves  the  name  of 
binder ;  he  who  is  called  upon  to  decorate  it,  finisher. 
At  present  the  custom  is  the  reverse :  the  finisher 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEEED.  51 

or  decorator  is  credited  with  being  the  binder, 
whereas  he  has  done  none  of  the  binding.  This  is 
where  the  critics  and  connoisseurs  err.  The  decora- 
tors of  ancient  binding  were  goldsmiths,  enamellers, 
etc.,  and  the  finishers  are  really  book  decorators, 
not  book  binders.  Is  it  just  to  ignore  the  workmen 
who  have  bound  the  book  and  made  it  serviceable  to 
our  use,  who  have  prepared  it  accurately,  given  it 
solidity,  strength,  and  flexibility,  who  have  shaped 
it  in  perfect  trueness  and  dressed  it  neatly  with  a 
cover  of  taste  and  appropriateness,  and  credit  only 
the  decorator?  Is  it  proper  to  say  that  Francis 
Bedford,  the  truest  forwarder  of  modern  times,  is 
only  a  second-class  binder,  because  a  Parisian  can 
surpass  him  in  delicacy  of  tooling  or  decoration  ? 
I  say  no.  Value  true  and  good  forwarding,  and  credit 
the  workman  in  his  true  merit  if  you  wish  to  have 
pleasure  in  reading  your  books;  but  if  you  wish  to 
have  them  "  Potiphar "  like,  merely  like  so  many 
wooden  blocks  to  show,  then  procure  Parisian  bind- 
ing so  rigid  in  the  back  that  you  cannot  open  it 
though  decorated  exquisitely.  I  do  not  wish  here 


52  MODEKN     BOOKBINDING. 

to  be  misunderstood.  I  do  not  desire  to  lessen  the 
high  appreciation  which  book  finishing  has  and  de- 
serves, but  simply  to  demand  credit  for  that  branch 
on  which  depends  the  important  principles  that  con- 
stitute good  binding — solidity,  strength,  flexibility, 
trueness,  and  the  skillful  manipulation  of  leather. 

There  is  little  satisfaction  in  having  a  book  elabo- 
rately finished  if  it  is  not  well  forwarded.  I  know 
full  well  that  finishing  is  an  art,  and  that  forwarding 
is  simply  a  handicraft ;  but  I  know  by  a  long  experi- 
ence that  it  is  a  very  difficult  one  and  deserving  of 
its  just  honors. 


HI 

|E  now  come  to  the  finishing  of  the  volume. 

Finishing  is  the  decoration  of  the  cover. 

The  decoration  of  books  has  for  ages  con- 
stituted one  of  the  principal  branches  of  ornamental 
art.  Mr.  Libri  asserts  that  "Ancient  figured  monu- 
ments often  show  personages  holding  in  their  hands 
books  of  which  the  covers  are  ornamented  in  various 
styles.  In  the  Christian  monuments  of  the  primitive 
church  not  only  are  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Evangel- 
ists generally  represented  with  books  in  their  hands, 
but  also  other  saints  are  portrayed  bearing  books 
bound  very  similarly  to  those  of  the  present  day, 
the  sides  of  which  are  generally  ornamented  in  dif- 
ferent ways."  It  is  an  art  that  has  engaged  the  abil- 
ities of  the  most  distinguished  artists  in  all  ages. 
It  has  also  at  times,  when  other  forms  of  decora- 
tion have  failed,  been  the  object  that  has  kept  alive 
and  advanced  art  in  its  decorative  forms,  and  much 

63 


54  MODEEN     BOOKBINDING 

of  the  goldsmith's  best  early  work  can  be  found  on 
the  covers  of  valuable  books.  De  Quincey,  in  ref- 
erence to  its  connection  with  the  fine  arts,  places 
bookbinding,  printing  of  books,  coining  and  making 
of  gold  and  silver  plate,  on  an  isthmus,  connecting 
them  on  one  side  with  the  vast  continent  of  merely 
mechanical  arts  and  on  the  other  side  with  the  far 
smaller  continent  of  fine  arts.  And  Mr.  Wheatley 
says  in  regard  to  this  remark  of  De  Quincey's  that 
"this  is  true  in  a  double  sense:  for  in  one  point  of 
view  every  good  binder  who  tries  to  work  out  an 
idea  is  an  artist,  whether  the  result  is  plain  or  orna- 
mental; and  in  another  the  finished  side  of  some 
richly  tooled  book  is  as  much  a  work  of  art  as  any 
picture  or  drawing." 

Were  it  required  of  me  to  treat  the  subject  of 
book  decoration  in  a  purely  art  sense  I  should  feel 
myself  quite  unequal  to  the  task.  I  lay  no  claim  to 
a  knowledge  of  art  in  its  higher  sense,  but  I  will 
endeavor  to  present  the  subject  from  a  practical 
standpoint  as  I  have  forwarding,  that  you  may 
be  made  acquainted  with  the  practical  principles 


PBACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  55 

which  constitute  the  art  and  be  enabled  to  better 
appreciate  its  difficulties. 

The  three  usual  styles  of  decoration  are  blind  tool- 
ing, gilt  tooling,  and  illuminated,  or  inlaid,  work. 
Blind  tooling  is  the  impression  of  the  tools  upon  the 
leather  without  gold  or  color.  It  is  produced  by  the 
tools,  slightly  warmed,  being  impressed  upon  the 
leather  when  damped,  and  by  the  same  impression 
being  often  repeated  to  brighten  its  effect.  It  is  the 
oldest  style  of  decoration  on  leather,  and  at  first  was 
of  the  simplest  description,  though  later  many  beau- 
tiful designs  were  used.  Many  specimens  of  this 
style  of  decoration  are  seen  in  old  vellum,  parch- 
ment, and  hogskin  bindings.  In  the  earliest  the 
impressions  have  undoubtedly  been  made  by  a  single 
stamp,  and  later  these  are  found  duplicated  and  mul- 
tiplied. Mr.  Libri  says  that  it  would  not  be  difficult 
to  prove  that  these  stamps  on  leather  for  book  covers 
preceded  every  other  impression  on  paper  of  figures 
engraved  on  wood  or  metal.  Blind  tooling  is  very 
suitable  for  the  decoration  of  old  books  and  is  now 
appropriately  called  antique. 


56  MODERN     BOOKBINDING 

The  more  usual  style  of  tooling  is  in  gold,  and  we 
all  know  how  rich  it  looks,  how  decorative  it  is  to 
the  cover,  and  how  durahle  it  can  be  done.  This 
style  of  decoration  is  said  to  have  had  an  Eastern 
origin.  A  great  deal  in  bookbinding  is  -credited  to 
the  East,  and  it  would  be  interesting  to  have  it  traced 
to  some  foundation — whether  the  dyeing  of  leather 
and  the  introduction  of  morocco  as  well  as  gilt  tooling 
really  originated  in  Arabia  and  Persia. 

Wherever  gilt  tooling  took  its  rise,  it  seems  in 
Europe  to  have  been  first  practiced  in  Italy.  It  is  so 
beautiful  a  decoration  and  is  now  so  extensively  used 
that  its  origin  and  early  history  should  certainly  be 
investigated  and  established.  Gold  tooling  produces 
a  rich  effect  more  especially  on  certain  colors,  such 
as  crimson,  purple,  and  green.  It  exemplifies  the 
design  more  effectively  than  blind  tooling,  especially 
when  the  tools  are  delicate,  like  the  fine  dotted  tools 
of  the  style  of  Le  Gascon.  All  delicate  tooling  must 
be  done  in  gold  to  obtain  its  proper  effect.  A  broad 
border  of  Gascon  tooling  in  gold,  though  in  charac- 
ter as  delicate  as  the  finest  lace,  is  marvelously  rich 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEEED.  57 

in  effect.  The  best  result  of  gilt  tooling  can  only  be 
secured  by  first  blinding  in  the  design — that  is,  im- 
pressing the  tools  in  blind  prior  to  gilding;  then  a 
solidity,  a  brightness,  and  an  exactness  are  better  ob- 
tained. Much  inferior  work  is  now  done  abroad,  for 
the  sake  of  cheapness,  without  blinding  in,  which  can 
be  best  detected  by  observing  a  shiny  stickiness  on 
the  surface  of  the  leather,  which  in  time  will  turn 
gray,  and  by  a  ragged  finish  to  the  tooling. 

The  illuminated  style  of  decoration  was  most 
likely  derived  from  the  beautiful  colored  designs 
mixed  with  gold  of  Persian  and  Arabian  MSS.  The 
Maioli,  or  Italian,  designs  are  especially  adapted  for 
illumination.  In  the  earliest  examples  of  this  style 
the  colors  were  painted  on  the  leather;  but  the  supe- 
rior modern  method  is  to  inlay  with  different  colors 
of  morocco  or  kid.  This  is,  when  well  done,  the  rich- 
est style  of  book  decoration  the  art  has  ever  reached. 

It  is  important  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  limit  of 
book-finishing  as  a  decorative  art  is  necessarily  very 
narrow  from  the  arbitrary  character  of  the  brass 
engraved  tools  the  finisher  uses  to  work  his  designs. 


58  MODERN     BOOKBINDING. 

In  some  shops  they  are  very  limited,  and  even  in  the 
largest  the  number  affords  but  little  variety.  We  all 
copy  one  from  the  other;  a  copyright  of  design  is 
unknown  among  us.  It  is  right  then  to  judge  of 
the  finisher's  work  by  the  limited  character  of  the 
tools  he  has  to  execute  his  designs.  We  judge  of 
tapestry  recollecting  it  is  the  work  of  the  needle ;  and 
of  the  steel  engraving  by  its  being  the  work  of  the 
graver.  It  might  be  easy  for  an  artist  with  his  pen- 
cil to  improve  to  his  taste  the  designs  of  the  binder, 
but  if  the  latter  cannot  work  the  designs  with  his 
tools  it  would  be  useless.  Suffice  it  for  our  present 
purpose  to  explain  that  these  tools  consist  of  scrolls 
of  various  sizes  and  styles,  of  upright  figures,  ro- 
settes, stars,  circles,  etc.,  with  which,  by  the  aid  of 
straight  and  curved  lines  technically  called  gouges, 
the  finisher  works  his  various  designs. 


UPRIGHT   FIGURES. 


STRAIGHT  LINES  AND  GOUGES. 


•       #       #      &      %       * 


o    o    O     O    o    o 


STARS,  CIRCLES,  AND  DOTS. 


SCROLLS. 
59 


60  MODEKN     BOOKBINDING 

The  quality  of  his  work  depends  largely  also  on 
the  fineness  of  these  engraved  tools,  and  this  is  no 
small  reason  why  the  Parisians  excel  both  the  Eng- 
lish and  ourselves,  their  engravers  cutting  deeper, 
smoother,  and  more  delicately  than  the  English 
and  our  own  engravers.  It  is  difficult  to  get  hand 
tools  cut  decently  well,  the  engraving  of  plates 
for  common  work  paying  our  engravers  so  much 
better. 

It  has  been  well  stated  by  Mr.  Wheatley  that  "  it 
is  hopeless  to  expect  the  art  to  revive  until  means 
are  taken  to  raise  the  standard  of  appreciation  in 
which  binding  is  held.  There  are  few  connois- 
seurs who  understand  the  principles  of  artistic 
binding,  and  many  men  and  women  who  would  be 
ashamed  to  admire  a  bad  picture  will  admire  a 
cheaply  bound  book  by  inferior  workmen."  I  my- 
self have  been  astonished  that  so  few  women — in 
America  I  know  none — are  encouragers  of  the  art; 
they  certainly  could  not  bestow  their  taste  on  any- 
thing that  would  do  them  more  credit,  or  as  a  study 
give  them  more  lasting  satisfaction.  That  you  may 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDERED.  61 

be  better  qualified  to  judge  I  will  describe  the  differ- 
ence between  the  decoration  of  common  and  first- 
class  work. 

In  the  decoration  of  modern  binding  there  are  two 
distinctive  processes :  the  one  called  stamping  or 
blocking,  the  other  hand-finishing.  Stamping  is 
done  with  an  entire  engraved  plate  and  stamped 
upon  the  cover  by  one  impression  of  the  press. 
The  design  may  be  just  as  beautiful  as  that  of  a 
hand-tooled  binding,  but  the  impression  is  multi- 
plied on  hundreds  and  thousands  of  books  and 
has  much  the  quality  and  value  that  an  engraving 
has  to  an  original  drawing.  Its  value  is  nothing, 
because  numbers  possess  it.  The  appearance  of 
the  workmanship  also,  to  the  practiced  eye,  is 
blocky  and  coarse. 

But  first-class  hand-tooling  has  the  merit  of  having 
been  designed  and  executed  for  your  especial  book. 
The  design  is  seldom  exactly  duplicated ;  the  tooling 
is  more  delicate,  and  has  a  freeness  and  charm,  as 
though  in  comparison  it  was  traced  upon  the  cover, 
which  stamped  work  cannot  imitate. 


62  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

The  process  of  working  a  design  in  the  best  man- 
ner on  morocco  is  very  tedious,  more  so  than  even 
connoisseurs  imagine.  First,  the  design  is  made  on 
paper,  then  impressed  with  the  tools  through  the 
paper  on  to  the  leather ;  then  the  paper  is  removed, 
and  the  design  again  gone  over  with  the  tools  to 
make  the  impression  sharp  and  clear;  then,  after 
washing,  sizing,  and  laying  on  the  gold  leaf,  the 
design  is  gone  over  for  the  fourth  time  before  one 
side  of  the  cover  is  completed.  This  having  to  be 
repeated  on  the  other  side  of  the  volume,  and  the 
back  also  tooled,  will  afford  some  idea  of  the  labor 
in  executing  the  finest  hand-tooling.  Better  work 
than  we  are  now  doing  will  never  be  done  till  the 
book-buyers  can  discriminate  between  the  cheap 
work  of  the  stamping  press,  encouraged  by  pub- 
lishers for  their  editions,  and  the  artistic  effort  of 
hand  labor  to  produce  rare  and  hence  valuable  book 
decoration. 

Go  to  the  finishing  room  often ;  see  your  work  in 
progress;  mark  well  the  careful  and  patient  effort 
of  the  workman  to  develop  his  design ;  better  still 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDERED.  63 

if  you  can  discern  the  difficulties  he  encounters  in 
harshness  or  greasiness  of  leather,  and  you  will 
then  appreciate  more  highly  a  good  piece  of  work. 
But  be  careful  and  not  get,  by  any  thoughtless 
remark  to  the  workman,  such  a  reproof  as  old  Dr. 
Vinton  received.  He  had  ventured  in  to  see  his 
books  in  progress,  and  the  finisher  had  a  quantity 
of  them  laid  over  with  gold-leaf  previous  to  tooling ; 
the  doctor,  horrified  at  the  sight  of  his  books,  made 
some  annoying  expression  of  "gingerbread  appear- 
ance" to  the  workman,  who  turned  upon  him  and 
said,  "  Excuse  me,  sir,  but  I  was  about  to  be  hasty." 
"In  what  way?"  asked  the  doctor.  "I  was  about  to 
say,"  the  workman  replied,  "that  fools  and  children 
should  never  see  their  work  half  done ! " 

The  qualifications  required  to  make  a  first-class 
finisher  are  of  a  higher  order  of  merit  than  that  of 
the  forwarder;  the  one  is  largely  ideal,  the  other 
practical.  He  must  be  possessed  of  artistic  taste  and 
be  somewhat  of  a  draughtsman,  and  have  some 
knowledge  of  the  standard  styles  and  designs  of  his 
art,  also  a  right  judgment  of  appropriateness ;  and  in 


64  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

addition  to  these  gifts  of  the  mind  he  must  have 
the  more  practical  ability  to  work  his  designs  on 
all  leathers  with  accuracy,  solidity,  and  brightness. 
To  excel  he  will  need  great  patience  and  to  have 
a  perfect  love  of  his  art,  an  admiration  for  what 
he  does  akin  to  that  of  the  painter  and  those  who 
occupy  the  higher  field  of  art :  he  will  never 
succeed  if  he  is  a  mere  bread-and-butter  workman. 
These  are  no  mean  qualifications,  and  they  are  very 
rarely  to  be  found  in  the  youth  that  offers  himself  to 
the  bookbinding  trade.  When  a  youth  has  the  art 
taste,  and  ability,  he  usually  seeks  employment  of  a 
higher  grade  than  bookbinding,  and  it  is  only  by 
chance  that  the  trade  possesses  the  few  it  has.  The 
ability  to  design  is  very  rare  among  finishers,  and  I 
do  not  believe  there  are  more  than  six  in  New  York 
who  can  even  work  any  intricate  pattern  with  fair 
ability.  In  London  I  question  if  the  number  is 
greater  in  proportion  to  the  population;  and  in  Paris, 
where  the  art  flourishes  most,  where  the  patronage  is 
encouraging,  and  the  workmen  have  superior  advan- 
tages, I  doubt  if  the  number  of  finishers  qualified  to 


PRACTICALLY     CONSIDERED.  65 

work  intricate  designs  in  first-class  manner  exceeds 
twenty.  This  fact  is  worthy  of  consideration,  that 
you  may  properly  appreciate  first-class  work  when 
you  see  it,  and  understand  more  fully  the  difficulties 
of  the  art. 

It  is  very  certain  in  my  mind  that  none  of  the 
working  finishers  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  cen- 
turies designed  any  of  the  examples  we  so  much 
admire ;  otherwise  they  would  have  worked  them 
with  greater  precision.  No  artist  would  have  been 
satisfied  in  so  inaccurately  exemplifying  his  own 
design.  But  it  is  quite  likely  that  some  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  and  later  styles  were  the  designs  of 
the  working  finishers  of  the  time,  because  these 
designs  are  mostly  a  combination  of  tools,  and  quite 
within  the  ability  of  the  trade. 


IV 


|OW  shall  we  bind  our  books  ?  is  a  common 
question  with  our  collectors,  but,  How 
shall  we  decorate  them  ?  is  an  equally  im- 
portant one.  At  present  the  style  of  decoration  is 
usually  left  to  the  binder,  hence,  as  he  often  studies 
convenience  rather  than  appropriateness,  the  result 
is  often  a  disappointment  to  the  customer.  Dread- 
ful mistakes  have  been  made  in  this  way.  Literal 
copies  of  old  designs  have  been  used  for  modern 
literature,  and  ornaments  selected  quite  inappropri- 
ate to  the  subject  or  date  of  the  publication.  I, 
therefore,  recognize  the  great  importance  of  stating 
briefly  a  few  points  that  will  help  to  satisfactory 

% 

conclusions.  I  hold  that  a  study  of  the  several 
styles  of  design  hitherto  used  in  the  decoration  of 
bindings  through  the  centuries  should  be  made  both 
by  collector  and  binder.  It  will  certainly  be  a  great 
help  to  a  solution  of  the  question  if  the  leading 
features  or  characteristics  of  the  several  styles  are 
better  understood. 

66 


THE    ALDINE. 


The  ornaments  used  by  Aldus  and  other  early 
Italian  printers  were  of  solid  face,  Arabic  in  shape, 
without  any  shading  whatever.  They  undoubtedly 
preferred  this  solid  ornament  because  it  gave  strong 
color  and  richness  to  the  page,  and  for  this  reason  it 
has  retained  favor  with  printers  even  to  our  time. 
The  binder's  Aldine  ornaments  are  copies  in  shape 
and  design  from  the  early  printers,  and  have  the 
same  especial  feature  of  solid  face  ;  hence,  when 
worked  brightly  in  gold  on  leather,  no  style  of  orna- 
ment he  uses  presents  a  stronger  or  richer  effect. 
The  ornaments  were  generally  used  by  the  early 
printers  independent  of  gouges  or  curved  lines,  by 


G7 


68  MODEEN     BOOKBINDING. 

a  repetition  of  the  same  ornament  forming  very 
effective  borders  and  bands.  In  the  binder's  pub- 
lished examples  of  this  style  the  composition  of  the 
design  is  generally  a  diamond  and  square,  with  semi- 
circles in  double  outline  intersected  and  the  orna- 
ments displayed  in  the  corners  and  centers,  but  less 
formal  designs  have  been  made  in  flowing  scrolls 
with  the  same  style  of  ornament.  This  style  of 
design  is  most  appropriate  for  early  printed  books, 
and  the  binder  will  err  in  giving  its  true  character  if 
he  mixes  any  shaded  ornament  with  it. 


ALDINE. 


THE    MAIOLI,    OB    ITALIAN. 

Thomas  Maioli,  from  whom  this  style  takes  its 
name,  lived  in  Italy  during  the  first  half  of  the  six- 
teenth century.  He  must  have  been,  from  the  rich- 
ness of  the  decoration  of  his  books,  a  most  liberal 
patron  of  binders.  Ghrolier,  with  a  similar  love  of 
books,  made  his  acquaintance  while  French  ambas- 
sador to  Italy,  and  quickly  recognized  the  great  supe- 
riority of  his  bindings,  for  on  his  return  to  France 
he  took  several  Italian  workmen  with  him.  I  think 
every  art  student  will  admit  that  the  Maioli  designs 
show  greater  artistic  merit  than  the  Grolier.  The 
published  examples  of  the  Maioli  and  Grolier  designs 
from  their  respective  libraries  often  render  it  difficult 

69 


70  MODEEN     BOOKBINDING 

to  determine  the  respective  styles.  If  the  student, 
however,  will  bear  in  mind  that  Grolier  during  his 
twenty  years'  residence  in  Italy  was  dependent  on 
Italian  workmanship,  and,  doubtless,  on  his  return  to 
France  imitated  the  Italian  style,  he  will  be  the  bet- 
ter able  to  distinguish  the  French-Grolier  from  the 
Maioli-Italian.  He  must  remember  that  bindings 
with  the  Maioli  motto  are  clearly  and  only  Italian, 
whereas  those  with  the  Grolier  motto  are  both 
Italian  and  French.  I  think  these  facts  are  neces- 
sary to  remember,  because  many  of  the  examples 
published  from  the  Grolier  library  are  of  the  same 
type  of  design  as  the  Maioli.  Also,  as  Maioh  pre- 
ceded Grolier,  we  must  credit  the  former  with  the 
style  of  design  his  bindings  exemplify.  Bearing 
these  facts  in  mind,  we  will  be  able  to  notice  more 
precisely  a  distinction  in  style.  The  example  I  have 
selected  is  clearly  Maioli's,  and  is  a  design  of  flowing 
scroll-work  graceful  in  every  curve,  interlacing  freely 
with  the  framework  as  though  traced  with  a  master 
hand :  in  fact,  there  is  not  a  defective  curve  in  the 
design.  The  framework  is  less  the  character  of  the 


MAIOLI. 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  71 

design  than  the  scroll-work,  whereas  in  the  Grolier 
examples  of  positive  French  type  the  geometrical 
interlaced  framework  is  more  the  design  than  the 
scroll-work.  The  principal  features  of  a  Maioli  de- 
sign, I  claim,  are  a  perfect  curve  in  scroll-work  where 
it  is  used,  a  framework  of  flowing  curved  lines  more 
than  of  figures  of  geometrical  shape,  ornaments 
of  Moresque  character,  mostly  in  outline,  sometimes 
azured,  and  an  enrichment  of  part  of  the  field  with  a 
studding  of  gold  dots.  Wherever  this  latter  feature 
is  seen  in  book  design  I  think  it  should  be  credited 
to  the  Italian. 


THE    GEOLIEK. 


Jean  Grolier,  after  his  return  from  twenty  years' 
residence  in  Italy,  became  the  founder  of  fine  book- 
binding in  France,  and  he  so  generously  encouraged 
it  that  Paris  and  Lyons  soon  became  the  rivals  of 
Venice  in  the  art.  As  we  have  stated  that  on  his 
return  he  took  Italian  workmen  with  him,  so  does 
the  style  he  promoted  bear  some  of  the  features  of 
his  contemporary  and  friend  Maioli.  The  similarity 
consists  in  a  framework  and  the  use  of  the  same 
Moresque-shaped  ornaments.  The  difference  is  in 
the  geometrical  composition  of  the  interlaced  frame- 
work by  straight  lines  and  semicircles,  instead  of 
flowing  curved  lines,  and  in  the  placing  of  the  orna- 


7-2 


GROLIER. 


MODEEN     BOOKBINDING. 


73 


merits  in  spaces  and  carrying  the  gouge  lines  to 
meet  them  without  due  regard  to  perfect  curve. 
Therefore,  a  geometrical  framework,  and  a  skeleton 
form  of  scroll-work  with  Moresque-shaped  orna- 
ments, are  the  features  of  a  Grolier  design  of  the 

French  type.     A  Grolier  design  is  simpler  and  easier 

i 

of  execution  by  the  binder  than  a  Maioli.  Modern 
examples  of  the  Grolier  style  are  rendered  more 
beautiful  by  the  introduction  of  perfect  scroll-work 
and  Renaissance  instead  of  Moresque  ornaments. 


10 


THE    EYE    STYLE. 

Under  the  patronage  of  De  Thou,  Nicholas  and 
Clovis  five  so  much  improved  on  the  Grolier  type 
of  design  that  they  are  justly  entitled  to  the  credit 
of  originating  a  new  style.  The  geometrical  layout 
of  their  designs  is  perfect,  the  surrounding  of  the 
compartments  with  scrolls  and  branches  of  laurel 
original,  and  the  covering  of  the  entire  field  of  the 
cover  with  delicate  tooling  is  the  perfection  of  rich- 
ness in  book  decoration.  They  adopted  graceful 
scrolls  and  small  floral  figures  in  place  of  the  Mo- 
resque characters  of  Grolier's  time  which  were  so 
entirely  superseded  that  they  are  seldom  used  in 
book  ornamentation  but  to  exemplify  the  Grolier 
style.  The  quantity  of  compartments  in  the  com- 

74 


&VE. 


MODERN     BOOKBINDING. 


75 


position  of  the  design,  with  their  beautiful  variety  of 
shape,  and  the  laurel-branch  decoration  which  sur- 
rounds them,  are  the  distinguishing  features  of  this 
style.  I  know  of  no  feature  of  book  decoration  that 
has  received  more  favor  than  the  laurel-branch  as 
introduced  by  Nicholas  Eve.  The  style  was  prac- 
ticed at  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  and  beginning  of 
the  seventeenth  centuries.  It  is  quite  appropriate 
to  modern  books,  and  no  richer  can  be  chosen. 


LE    GASCON. 


This  is  a  style  which  can  never  be  mistaken. 
Using  a  similar  framework  to  the  Eves,  Le  Gascon 
made  a  novel  change  in  scroll  ornaments  used  for 
filling  in  the  compartments  by  making  the  face  of 
them  fine  dots  instead  of  solid  line.  In  addition  to 
novelty,  it  gave  great  delicacy  to  the  treatment  of 
book  decoration.  From  the  time  of  Aldus  the  orna- 
ments had  gradually  been  getting  finer,  until  now 
they  had  reached  the  extreme  point  of  delicateness. 


76 


LE  GASCON. 


MODEBN     BOOKBINDING.  77 

In  the  latter  part  of  Ms  career,  Le  Grascon  aban- 
doned even  the  solid-line  framework  and  made  up 
his  designs  by  the  dotted  ornaments  alone.  When 
this  style  of  delicate  ornament  is  worked  in  borders 
it  gives  the  effect  of  lace  and  is  called  a  lace  or  den- 
telle  border —  in  my  opinion  constituting  the  best  use 
to  which  this  Grascon  style  of  ornament  can  be  put. 
When  worked  by  an  accurate  finisher  no  tooling  is, 
in  a  delicate  sense,  richer  on  crushed  levant.  Some 
doubt  that  the  workman  who  introduced  this  style, 
and  who  was  attached  to  Clovis  Eve's  house,  was 
named  Le  Grascon;  but,  nevertheless,  the  name  of 
the  style  will  ever  remain  "  Le  Grascon." 


DEBOME. 

About  a  century  later  than  Le  Gascon's  time  the 
style  of  decoration  had  changed  into  scrolls  of  a 
leafy  character,  with  a  more  solid  face,  though 
lightly  shaded  by  the  graver,  which  I  think  is  prop- 
erly designated  the  Renaissance  style  of  ornament. 
It  is  best  exemplified  by  Derome  in  borders,  Yan- 
dyke  in  design.  The  style  is  simple  but  rich  in 
effect,  and  is  within  the  talent  of  any  good  finisher. 
It  is  useful  and  appropriate  for  large  illustrated 
works,  and  the  solid  character  of  the  tools  is  well 
suited  for  grained  morocco.  The  English  Harleian 
style  is  somewhat  similar,  though  the  ornaments  of 
the  latter  are  more  formal  and  are  varied  with  acorns 
and  cones  in  the  terminations. 

78 


ROGER  PAYNE. 


In  the  latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  Roger 
Payne  lived  and  devoted  a  poverty-stricken  life  to  a 
love  and  practice  of  the  art  of  bookbinding.  He  was 
in  himself  both  binder  and  finisher,  carefully  select- 
ing his  material  with  regard  to  its  appropriateness, 
and  adopting  a  style  of  decoration  strikingly  his  own. 
The  ornamental  tools  he  used,  which  are  said  to  have 
been  designed  and  engraved  by  himself,  are  original 
in  form  and  easily  identified.  They  are  free  and 
flowing  in  stem  and  flower,  never  stiff  and  formal 
like  the  Harleian.  His  designs  show  little  variety 
and  are  limited  in  scope,  but  are  rendered  rich  in 
effect  by  studding  the  field  with  gold  dots.  His 


79 


80  MODEKN     BOOKBINDING. 

efforts,  however,  were  always  original,  never  copied ; 
and  I  believe  it  was  this,  rather  than  excellence  in 
the  composition  of  his  designs,  that  has  begot  him 
favorable  mention  wherever  bookbinding  is  named. 
He  deserves  great  credit  for  originating  a  style  and 
displaying  much  taste  and  pains  in  the  execution  of 
his  work.  It  is  very  appropriate  on  straight-grained 
morocco,  which  in  his  day  was  the  leather  in  vogue ; 
but  to  me  his  style  seems  suitable  for  decorating 
books  in  the  English  language  only.  No  artist  could 
study  his  subject  more  faithfully  than  Eoger  Payne 
did  the  binding  intrusted  to  him,  and  no  workman 
ever  rendered  his  bill  with  greater  conscientiousness. 
So  low  were  his  prices,  no  wonder  he  died  in  pov- 
erty and  was  buried  at  a  namesake's  cost. 


ROGER 
PAYNE. 


INSIDE. 


JANSENISTE. 


Though  exemplifying  styles  of  decoration,  it  may 
be  proper  to  describe  a  style  which  depends  for  its 
popularity  on  an  absence  of  decoration.  It  takes  its 
name  from  the  followers  of  Jansenius,  Bishop  of 
Ypres,  who  were  advocates  of  plainness  in  worship, 
and  opposed  to  the  decoration  of  the  altar.  In  book- 
binding it  is  characterized  by  entire  absence  of  line 
or  ornament.  It  permits  decoration  on  the  inside  of 
the  cover,  but  demands  absolute  plainness  on  the 
outside.  It  is,  however,  only  appropriate  for  levant 
morocco,  because  it  is  dependent  for  its  beauty  on  the 
polished  surface  which  this  leather  is  capable  of  tak- 
ing in  the  process  of  crushing.  It  is  exceedingly 
suitable  to  a  large  class  of  literature  that,  though 
worthy  of  good,  substantial  binding,  is  not  appro- 
priate to  decoration. 

11  81 


82  MODEEN     BOOKBINDING 

These  are  the  principal  styles  from  which  finishers 
draw  their  inspiration  of  design.  They  are  far  too 
briefly  and  inadequately  described,  but  the  limits  of 
a  lecture  will  not  permit  of  greater  amplification. 
I  would  discourage  the  copying  by  binders  of  the 
examples  of  the  originals,  but  rather  advise  varia- 
tions of  them.  The  French  are  multiplying  copies 
of  them  very  rapidly,  while  they  are  fully  capable 
of  originating  a  new  decorative  treatment. 

The  principles  to  be  observed  in  finishing  are : 

First,  Appropriateness  of  design. 

Second,  Accuracy,  solidity,  and  brightness  of  work- 
manship. 

The  first  principle  is  a  much  neglected  one,  and 
from  the  great  variety  of  the  subjects  of  books  a 
very  difficult  one  to  strictly  carry  out.  But  honest 
efforts  at  appropriateness  in  binding  can  generally 
be  made  by  determining  the  style  of  binding  best 
suited  to  the  use  to  which  the  book  is  to  be  put, 
the  proper  leather  and  its  suitable  color,  edges  cut 
or  uncut,  gilt  or  plain ;  but  more  especially  will  the 


PEACTICALLY      CONSIDEEED.  O6 

quantity  and  style  of  the  decoration  mark  the  appro- 
priateness of  the  binding.  The  style  of  tooling  should 
be  of  the  period  of  the  book's  publication,  or  some- 
what in  the  character  of  the  subject  treated;  also 
finished  plain  or  elaborate  according  to  value  or 
rarity  of  the  volume.  When  these  simple  efforts 
at  appropriateness  are  made  by  the  binder,  he  is 
not  far  wrong  even  in  an  art  sense. 

Appropriate  decoration,  however,  is  of  the  highest 
importance.  Better  keep  the  volume  as  it  comes  from 
the  coverer,  nude  of  ornament,  than  gild  upon  it  tool- 
ing which  is  inappropriate.  True  decoration  ren- 
ders the  binding  more  beautiful;  it  has  no  right  to 
be  attempted  if  it  does  not.  Our  binders,  and  often 
good  binders,  err  dreadfully  in  this  particular ;  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  gilt  tooling  they  think  necessary,  and 
this  they  often  put  on  without  any  regard  to  the 
character  of  the  volume.  Surely  the  aim  and  pur- 
pose of  all  decoration  is  to  render  the  article  more 
beautiful,  and  this,  I  repeat,  can  only  be  done  by 
appropriate  ornament. 

It  is  very  easy  for  writers  on  the  subject  to  lay 


$4  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

down  the  ABC  rule  of  "birds  and  insects  for 
books  on  natural  history,  flowers  for  those  on  botany 
and  the  like,  so  that  the  book  may  be  recognized 
at  a  glance";  but  correct  as  this  rule  may  appear  it 
would  be  a  very  foolish  one  to  follow  to  any  great 
extent.  In  a  large  library  there  would  be  a  great 
many  books  decorated  with  birds;  and  though  the 
bird  indicated  the  subject  it  would  not  the  author — 
an  equally  important  point.  You  might  take  a  Yar- 
rell  for  a  Morris,  and  so  on.  Then  flowers  are  appro- 
priate for  more  than  books  on  botany.  No;  use 
flowers  and  birds,  subserviently  however,  at  times 
to  help  make  your  design  more  appropriate,  but  not 
so  prominently  that  you  will  recognize  your  volumes 
at  a  glance.  An  ardent  lover  of  his  books  will 
identify  them  by  other  indications  as  easily  as  he 
will  the  features  of  a  familiar  friend. 

In  this  room  there  is  a  very  beautiful  design  of 
Zaehnsdorf  's  for  a  copy  of  L'Ombrelle ;  it  has  a 
large  representation  of  a  parasol  in  the  center,  I 
suppose  to  make  the  design  more  appropriate  and 
help  its  identification,  as  he  advances  this  theory  in 


PEACTICALLT     CONSIDEBED.  85 

his  treatise.  To  me  it  is  an  objection  to  an  other- 
wise beautiful  design  (perhaps  it  was  so  done  to  sat- 
isfy an  idea  of  his  customer) ;  but  had  there  been 
two  or  three  small  parasols  picturesquely  interwoven 
in  the  tooling  it  would,  to  me,  be  more  appropriate 
and  better  in  character  with  the  illustrations  of  the 
artist.  I  have  said  I  think  appropriateness  in  the 
decoration  of  books  depends  much  on  the  character 
of  the  tools  selected.  In  too  many  binderies  the 
styles  of  tools  are  indiscriminately  mixed — the 
Aldine,  the  Grolier,  the  Harleian,  and  the  Renais- 
sance; and  whichever  fits  the  space  required,  that 
is  selected  and  used  by  the  general  finisher.  This 
is  what  is  justly  complained  of.  Every  finisher 
should  have  his  tools  strictly  sorted,  and  select  for 
his  decoration  the  style  of  tools  best  suited  to  the 
period  of  his  book.  The  bird,  the  insect,  or  the 
flower  will  not  make  the  design  appropriate  with 
carelessly  selected  tools. 

The  second  principle  involved  in  fine  finishing  is 
the  masterly  execution  of  the  tooling.  It  was  in 
this  our  earlier  craftsmen  failed — their  tooling  is 


86  MODEKN     BOOKBINDING 

very  inexact.  Some  of  the  tools  are  burnt  in — the 
impressions  deep  into  the  leather,  while  others  are 
faint  and  on  the  surface;  this  result  of  the  toohng 
is  so  unequal  in  impression  and  so  inexact  in  exe- 
cution that  the  value  is  simply  in  the  design.  But 
this  will  not  meet  modern  requirements ;  the  impres- 
sion of  the  tools,  however  numerous,  must  be  as 
equal  as  though  made  by  one  impression,  and  every 
join  made  'with  strict  accuracy  and  trueness.  The 
workman  who  fails  in  this  fails  in  producing  a  first- 
class  specimen  of  work. 

I  have  no  doubt  the  tooling  on  early  binding  was 
done  while  the  leather  was  damp,  for  easier  work- 
ing. Some  of  the  foreign  binders  to-day,  in  order 
to  meet  lower  prices,  have  been  lately  doing  the 
same  thing — tooling  elaborate  designs  in  a  damp 
state  without  blinding  in,  thus  gaining  a  great  ad- 
vantage over  the  honest,  careful  workman.  The 
result  is  dull  and  inexact  work.  Customers  and 
binders  alike  must  recollect  this  fact  —  the  best 
tooling  cannot  be  done  without  the  necessary  cost 
of  expensive  labor,  and  no  binder  can  long  exist 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEEED.  87 

without  being  paid  for  that  outlay.  Another  fact 
that  should  be  particularly  borne  in  mind  is  that 
second-class  work  is  no  great  prize  to  possess  and 
has  no  special  value.  I  speak  in  the  interest  of  all: 
the  finisher  cannot  work  his  designs  accurately, 
solidly,  brightly,  and  clearly  without  blinding  in,  and 
if  the  customer  requires  the  best  work  he  must 
expect  to  pay  for  the  best  manner  of  doing  it.  Grold 
and  silver  is  appreciated  by  a  sterling  mark.  I  wish 
that  first-class  workmanship  had  to  stand  the  same 
test  and  pass  the  same  ordeal. 

It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  tool  accurately.  Each 
tool  is  put  down  separately,  and  should  be  in  line 
one  with  the  other.  Take  a  dentelle  border :  if  accu- 
rately worked  the  point  of  each  tool  will  be  directly  in 
line  with  the  corresponding  one  opposite.  No  design 
depends  more  upon  accuracy  than  a  dentelle  or  lace 
border ;  tool  it  inaccurately  and  you  destroy  its 
beauty.  Take  a  Grolier  design :  the  intersected  lines 
must  be  straight,  equal  in  width  of  space,  and  exactly 
mitred ;  the  join  of  the  scrolls  and  the  gouges  must 
be  unobserved. 


MODEBN     BOOKBINDING 

Solid  tooling  shows  the  skilled  and  perfect  work- 
man. This  is  justly  claimed  as  one  of  Trautz's 
superior  qualifications  ;  it  certainly  is  one  of  superior" 
merit.  The  faint  impression  of  a  tool  is  not  perma- 
nent ;  it  is  "  half  out,"  as  the  finishers  term  it,  and 
they  justly  hold  it  as  a  proof  of  inferior  workman- 
ship— burnt-in  tooling  as  an  unpardonable  fault. 
Brightness  of  tooling  is  the  perfection  of  solid  work. 
It  depends  on  the  temperate  heat  of  the  tool  and  the 
proper  dryness  of  the  leather.  The  work  that  I  saw 
of  Trautz's  in  Mr.  Turner's  library,  London,  where  I 
handled  a  dozen  specimens,  was  chiefly  remarkable 
for  these  two  qualities,  solidity  and  brightness. 
There  was  not  an  intricate  or  superior  design  on  any 
of  the  specimens.  Mr.  Turner  informed  me  that 
Trautz  excused  himself  for  that  by  pleading  lack  of 
time. 

I  believe  the  only  fault  of  Bedford's  work  was  the 
lack  of  a  first-class  finisher.  The  backs  of  his  books 
are  all  tooled  and  lettered  well,  but  his  tooled  sides 
are  not  accurate  and  are  far  from  being  as  bright 
and  clean  as  they  should  be.  Had  he  got  his  finish- 


PBACTICALLT     CONSIDEBED.  89 

ing  done  as  well  as  his  forwarding  he  would  have 
been  the  best  binder  of  his  day.  His  misfortune 
was  that  he  was  not  a  finisher  himself.  The  for- 
warding of  the  Paris  binders  is  far  from  perfect — 
excessively  round  in  the  back  and  very  rigid,  also 
carelessly  untrue  in  the  squares.  It  is  a  common 
practice  to  speak  of  the  decadence  of  the  art; 
very  little,  however,  is  advanced  to  prove  it.  If 
the  costly  display  in  the  goldsmith's  art  in  early 
times  is  to  be  cited,  or  the  origin  of  the  beautiful 
designs  in  droller,  Maioli,  and  Be  Thou's  time  is  to 
be  the  proof,  then  it  is  reasonable;  but  if  ability 
of  workmanship  in  the  art  both  in  forwarding  and 
finishing  is  to  be  the  gauge,  then  the  art  has  reason 
to  be  proud  of  the  advance  it  has  made  in  the  last 
half-century  and  of  its  present  high  standard  of  ex- 
cellence. The  workmanship  of  Hayday  and  Bedford 
in  all  the  principles  of  good  binding  is  superior  to 
that  of  Roger  Payne,  Lewis,  or  Mackenzie,  and  the 
excellent  tooling  of  Cape  and  Trautz  excels  in  perfec- 
tion of  finish  any  of  the  work  of  their  predecessors. 
And  in  modern  times  we  are  not  quite  so  deficient 

12 


90  MODEBN     BOOKBINDING. 

in  originality  of  design  as  some  writers  on  the  sub- 
ject would  have  us  believe.  We  may  not  have 
surpassed  in  beauty  of  conception  the  old  designs, 
but  a  few  creditable  styles  have  been  originated  and 
practiced  in  my  time.  Even  the  designs  of  Grolier 
and  Maioli  were  not,  strictly  speaking,  original  in 
conception ;  you  can  trace  their  origin  from  examples 
of  the  goldsmith's  art  of  the  tenth  and  twelfth  cen- 
turies: the  square,  the  oval,  and  the  circular  figures 
which  served  for  the  framework  of  the  jewels  and 
enamels  they  inlaid.  From  these  I  believe  the  in- 
tersected designs  were  -conceived.  But  in  whatever 
way  these  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  century  designs 
were  originated  we  must  not  slight  the  fact  that  they 
are  the  foundation  of  the  best  examples  of  book  dec- 
oration and  nowhere  are  they  so  well  and  delicately 
worked  as  in  Paris. 


ALHAMBKA. 

In  regard  to  the  advance  made  in  extra  binding 
within  the  last  forty  years  America  has  no  need  to 
"be  ashamed.  If  a  collection  of  the  best  specimens  of 
her  binders'  work  could  be  collected  a  higher  esti- 
mate would  be  formed  of  their  ability.  I  am  very 
loath  to  speak  of  the  part  I  have  taken  to  advance  its 
progress,  but  as  it  has  been  the  labor  of  forty  years 
of  my  life,  I  hope  I  may  be  pardoned  for  doing  so.  I 
desire  to  do  so  for  two  reasons  :  first,  to  make  known 
that  all  my  incitement  to  do  first-class  work  has  been 
a  jealous  love  for  the  good  name  of  my  adopted 
country;  second,  that  I  may  make  honorable  men- 
tion of  an  able  workman,  now  no  more,  who  for 
twenty-five  years  was  my  chief  finisher.  I  allude  to 
Frederick  Grilson. 

In  1851 1  felt  very  keenly  that  in  the  Exhibition  of 
that  year  in  England  there  was  no  exhibit  shown  of 
American  bookbinding,  and  in  1852,  when  it  was 

91 


92  MODEEN     BOOKBINDING 

announced  that  an  Exhibition  would  be  held  in  New 
York  in  1853,  I  resolved  to  make  as  good  an  exhibit 
as  my  abilities  and  limited  means  would  permit  for 
the  credit  of  American  Bookbinding. 

In  that  exhibit  were  specimens  of  library  binding 
in  calf,  morocco,  and  russia;  dictionaries  with  flexible 
backs;  iUuminated  printed  books  in  white  vellum 
mosaic ;  and  as  a  chief  attraction  of  effort  this  copy 
of  the  Alhambra  by  Jules  Groury  and  Owen  Jones, 
which  by  the  kindness  of  Theodore  Irwin,  Esq.,  its 
present  owner,  I  am  permitted  to  show  you.  It  is 
bound  in  yellowish-brown  russia,  inlaid  with  blue 
and  red  morocco,  constituting  the  three  primitive 
colors,  yellow,  blue,  and  red,  the  colors  so  generally 
used  by  the  Moors  in  the  decoration  of  that  wonder- 
ful palace.  The  design  for  its  decoration  is  in  beau- 
tiful keeping  with  the  illustrations  in  the  book,  but 
without  being  a  copy  of  any  one  of  them.  It  was 
designed  and  worked  by  Grilson.  It  took  him  six 
months  to  complete  and  cost  me  $500.  There  was 
not  an  engraved  ornament  used  in  the  decoration — 
simply  curved  and  straight  lines,  circles,  and  dots,  the 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEBED.  93 

effort  being  to  exhibit  what  the  binder  alone  could 
do  without  the  aid  of  engraver,  goldsmith,  or  the 
like.  Though  a  large  folio,  measuring  23^4x16^  and 
nearly  three  inches  thick,  no  thread  was  used  to 
connect  its  letterpress  and  illustrations.  They  were 
cemented  and  bound  together  with  india  rubber, 
enabling  the  book  to  he  open  with  perfect  freedom 
and  flatness.  Contrary  to  the  usual  result  of  rub- 
ber binding,  though  this  heavy  volume  has  been 
used  for  thirty-four  years,  every  leaf  is  as  firmly 
bound  as  when  exhibited  in  1853.  The  designs  of 
the  outside  and  inside  border  should  silence  the 
remark  that  "  no  binder  has  done  original  work  for 
two  centuries,"  and  when  we,  together  with  the 
designs,  examine  the  exactness  of  the  workmanship, 
we  should  be  proud  that  such  was  done  in  America. 
This  exhibit,  in  competition  with  Niedree  of  Paris 
and  English  and  Scotch  binders,  was  awarded  the 
silver  medal,  the  highest  award  given.  Another  and 
later  specimen  of  my  binding  I  exhibit  for  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  design  and  the  perfect  accuracy  of 
its  execution.  It  is  another  example  of  Frederick 


94  MODERN     BOOKBINDING 

Gilson's  work.  The  volume  is  a  copy  of  that  richly 
illustrated  edition  of  the  New  Testament  published 
by  Longmans  &  Co.  of  London,  and  presented  by 
them  to  Win.  H.  Appleton,  Esq.  The  finisher  gives 
another  example  in  this  design  of  how  he  can  dec- 
orate without  the  aid  of  the  engraver ;  there  is  not 
an  engraved  tool  in  the  design,  and  yet  it  is  very 
ornate.  The  frame  of  the  design  is  inlaid  with  blue 
and  the  scroll-work  is  freely  and  gracefully  twined 
through  it.  The  four  compartments  each  contain  a 
symbolic  figure  more  suggestive  than  obtrusive.  The 
center  of  this  figure  is  inlaid  with  crimson,  while  the 
four  crown-shaped  figures  surrounding  it  are  inlaid 
with  blue ;  on  the  crimson  center  is  delicately  traced 
a  cross  with  glory  rays  radiating  from  it.  The  design 
affords  another  proof  of  how  unobtrusively  an  appro- 
priate symbol  can  be  introduced. 

During  this  nineteenth  century  bookbinding  has 
made  rapid  strides,  not  only  as  a  manufacture,  which 
is  evident  in  a  marvelous  degree,  but  in  the  beau- 
tifying of  thousands  of  private  libraries  with  choice 
specimens  of  beautiful  bindings,  giving  to  their 
possessors  every  time  they  handle  them  finer  feelings 


NEW  TESTAMENT.     LONGMANS'  EDITION. 

OUTSIDE  DESIGN. 


PEACTICALLY     CONSIDEEED.  95 

and  sweeter  ecstasy  of  pleasure  than  many  more 
costly  objects  of  art  they  possess.  I  pity  those  who 
call  themselves  cultured  and  with  fine  art  taste  who 
cannot  take  from  their  shelves  some  few  specimens 
of  first-class  modern  extra  binding. 

Paris  leads  in  the  cultivation  of  this  art,  and  par- 
ticularly so,  it  is  said,  because  of  the  number  of  small 
collectors,  each  one  priding  himself  on  the  posses- 
sion of  a  Cape,  a  Niedree,  a  Trautz,  or  of  the  living 
artists  Lortic  and  Petit. 

In  England,  also,  they  are  awakening  to  a  sense  of 
the  secondary  position  they  hold  in  the  practice  of 
the  art  and  by  lectures  and  publications  are  endeav- 
oring to  encourage  their  binders  to  exercise  their 
well-known  abilities  to  a  higher  standard  of  excel- 
lence. And  now  what  are  we  ^Wnericans  doing? 
Fifty  years  ago  there  was  not  a  finely  bound  book, 
except  what  by  chance  had  been  procured  abroad,  to 
be  found  in  any  collection  in  America.  Fine  binding 
was  an  unknown  art.  But  travel  and  wealth  have 
quickened  a  desire  for  rare  books  and  costly  bind- 
ings, and  given  birth  to  a  body  of  collectors  through- 
out the  States  that  I  venture  to  predict  will  make 


96  MODERN     BOOKBINDING. 

America  possess  in  another  twenty-five  years  as  rare 
books  and  fine  bindings  as  can  be  found  in  Europe. 
As  to  what  American  binders  have  done  I  humbly 
assert  that  there  are  many  examples  of  American 
workmanship  in  our  collections  that  would  do  honor 
to  the  best  French  and  English  binders  of  the  last 
half -century.  There  are  better  examples  of  first-class 
finishing  here  than  Mr.  Smalley  has  any  idea  of,  or 
he  would  not  write  so  disparagingly  of  us.  Certainly 
we  need  to  do  as  often  as  possible  what  we  have  in  a 
poor  way  attempted  to-night,  exemplifying  among 
ourselves  the  true  principles  of  bookbinding  and 
book  decoration.  And  now,  on  behalf  of  my  craft, 
I  ask  the  collectors  to  have  more  faith  in  our  ability, 
to  encourage  us  with  fair  liberality  while  we  try  to 
reach  —  yes,  even  excel — our  European  brethren. 

Trautz  did  his  best  work  under  the  patronage  of  a 
Rothschild,  and  Bedford  under  that  of  liberal  Ameri- 
can collectors.  I  therefore  plead  with  you  to  bestow 
your  patronage  at  home  instead  of  abroad,  fostering 
and  educating  native  workmen  to  an  excellence  they 
can  never  otherwise  attain. 


v\\ 


